Love and Logic
by sel1006
Summary: Maura Isles has always valued all things logical and scientific. Will Jane Rizzoli teach her that sometimes life isn't always logical? Slightly A/U, but follows some major plot points and features main characters from the show.
1. Chapter 1

Intro

All my life, I have approached things with a scientific eye. Recently, I have attributed that to my job as a medical examiner, but really my love for knowledge and evidence can be traced back through my years in medical school, to college, high school, and even when I was a young girl. I can, of course, argue that one would require a scientific eye for this profession, when so much is based off human biology, anatomy, chemistry, and many other scientific disciplines. Science is factual, evidence-based, testable…_logical_. It simply makes sense to me. I can trace a drop of blood through the human body, describing in detail the journey it takes through veins, arteries, ventricles, capillaries, and could probably do it all while speaking a language other than English. I could estimate the trajectory of a bullet, based on an entrance wound. I can look at my wife's swollen belly, and can tell you the approximate size of the fetus in centimeters, and tell you which organs and organ systems have been developing so far during the pregnancy.

Scientific inquiry is the one thing that makes complete sense to me. But while I may be able to provide key information in homicide investigations, my passion for scientific inquiry has never helped me when it comes to love.

Love is an abstract concept, a feeling, which completely baffles me. How can something that is so strong, at times rendering us speechless or at the verge of tears, be completely unquantifiable? As a doctor, I of course am aware of the human body's relation to love. Hormones and other natural biologic responses play a large role in the "science" of love, but when it comes down to it, love simply just happens, whether we expect it or not.

In my case, Jane happened, and everything I knew about logic, scientific inquiry, and love was thrown right out the door.

Chap. 1

Ironically, the moment I met Jane was fairly ambiguous. In fact, I didn't think I would ever see her again after our first encounter.

I had taken a new position as a Chief Medical Examiner at the Boston Police Department, which I was of course ecstatic about. While college, medical school, internships, and my residency in pathology were extremely helpful in providing the tools and skills needed for my chosen occupation, I was looking forward to putting my skills to use to aid in investigations and to help provide justice through evidence. I had been working the past few years in an Assistant Medical Examiner position, and was genuinely excited to move up through the ranks and to be in such a prestigious position as a Chief Medical Examiner.

My first day at BPD was a whirlwind, with lots of paperwork to fill out, security clearances, and a tour of the establishment, all of which took place before 1pm. Finally, Lieutenant Cavanaugh released me for the remainder of the day to get things settled in my office and to meet the team of criminalists who I would be working with on a daily basis. I had not eaten since my breakfast this morning, which was at 6:30am. My daily routine had been altered slightly due to the busy morning agenda, and I was starting to feel the rumble in my stomach, which had been triggered by ghrelin, which is often called the "hunger hormone."

Typically I tried to avoid cafeteria-style settings because they are a breeding ground for bacteria, but I quickly realized my need for sustenance, and could feel the early stages of hypoglycemia beginning to set in. Deciding the best option would be to grab a salad and some yogurt from the café in the lobby, I made my way towards the café.

As soon as I stepped off the elevator, I was literally stopped in my tracks when I collided with another person.

"ooommph"

"Oh shit! Easy there killer…"

It took a moment for me to regain my senses, but when I had smoothed out my cashmere sweater and pencil skirt, I was completely appalled by what I saw. Standing in front of me, clad in a skintight dress made from some who-knows-what (probably cotton/poly blend) material, nylons (complete with a run in them), and animal print (how utterly tacky) heels, was a woman who seemed to be about my age. With the heels, she was significantly taller than me, and even with the ill-fitting clothes, I could tell she was athletically inclined as evidenced by her long, lean torso and shapely limbs. Her hair was wild, with dark curls falling down her back and framing her face. When I got a good look at her face, I was surprised to find a pair of deep brown eyes staring back at me with a beautiful intensity. Although her face was covered in a particularly heinous layer of makeup, her cheekbones were noticeably well-defined, and transitioned nicely into an angular jaw and chin.

I took stock of her outfit, her pale complexion, her shoddy makeup job, and was able to hypothesize about her probable profession. This woman was clearly a prostitute, and I couldn't figure out why she would be in a police headquarters. Maybe she was being released after being detained… I struggled to regain my composure, then decided to apologize:

"My apologies miss, I didn't see you when I got off the elevator" I managed to get out.

"Uh yeah, no worries, I was coming through here like a bat outta hell and didn't see you either" she replied. "Hey, are you new here? I haven't seen you around before, and I am here a lot…so…" Her sentence trailed off.

What did she mean she was here a lot? Had she been arrested before for prostitution? Should I be seen associating with this woman? There were a lot of questions flying through my mind, but I pushed them down and tried to maintain a calm front. But I couldn't focus under her intense gaze.

"Well yes, I am new here. First day here, actually. My name is Dr. Maura Isles, and I am the Chief Medical Examiner for the Commonwealth of Massachusetts."

Her face broke in to something of a half-smile "No shit? Wow, a new fancy-pants doctor huh? I bet you make what I make in a day in one freaking hour."

I didn't quite know how to respond to that statement, so I smiled weakly and tried to extricate myself from what was obviously an awkward situation. "Yes, well…I was on my way to the café for some lunch, so if you will just excuse me. I apologize again for running into you. I hope I didn't injure you…"

She broke into a full grin while looking herself up and down. Her eyes seemed to sparkle as if she was trying to contain her laughter. Was she enjoying the awkwardness? "Nope, I have never been better. Well, maybe I will see you around or something…see ya."

And with that, she turned and headed toward the exit. I watched her as she left and saw her reach up and run her hand through her hair, seemingly trying in vain to tame the curls. As she stepped out the door, her head turned back and her eyes caught mine for a brief second. She smiled briefly, raised her hand in a slight wave, and then disappeared.

I stood there for a few moments contemplating the exchange. I had never related well to other people in the past, so awkward interactions were not something I was unfamiliar with. But as I moved towards the café once again to finally get something to eat, I couldn't help but wonder what she meant when she said that maybe she would see me around. On what planet would a Medical Examiner and a prostitute cross paths on a regular basis? I shook my head slightly to clear my thoughts, and headed into the café for a much needed lunch.

I didn't think about that day for months.

**A/N - So...this is my first attempt at fanfiction. I don't typically write for pleasure or creatively, but usually for work (i.e. research papers and other straightforward things). This is my creative outlet and I hope you all enjoy. I hope I am doing the characters justice. Of course feel free to review/comment or whatever. I am still getting used to this format and how to add and edit everything, so if there are any glaring issues let me know :) This story will loosely follow the major plotlines of R&I, but mostly will utilize Maura as a character for the story.  
**


	2. Chapter 2

Chap. 2

It was easy to get lost in my work at BPD. After a few weeks, I really started to feel comfortable with my surroundings, and was able to actually dig in with new cases. I was primarily working with the Homicide Units, helping to autopsy victim's bodies to provide evidence for their cases. I had never been busier in my life (although one does not enter a career as a Medical Examiner in an urban environment such as Boston to enjoy "down time") and before I knew it, several months had passed.

One night, I was finishing up some documentation for a particularly tough case, when glancing up at the clock I realized it was after 10pm. I never considered myself to be a night owl, so I was surprised to realize I had lost track of time and that it was so late! Finishing up my notes, I closed up my laptop and moved towards my office to get my things ready to head home for the night. As I exited the morgue, I heard some strange noises coming from the area near the evidence lockers. Curious to figure out the source of the strange noises, I quickly deposited my notes on my desk, and then moved in the direction of the noise.

As I rounded the corner, I tripped over something, and stumbled into the wall. Luckily, I had not injured myself, but when I regained my composure I looked down to determine what I had tripped over. A pair of red-rimmed, deep brown eyes brimming with tears met my gaze. Tear tracks stained that face which I had seen before, and her hair was equally as unruly as the first time we had bumped into each other. I knew this woman! We had collided my first day at BPD so many months ago. I opened my mouth to apologize for another intrusion on her personal space but she beat me to the punch.

"Well, we really need to stop meeting like this Doc" the woman spoke in a hoarse voice.

She was sitting on the floor with her back against the wall, her arms resting on her knees, and her body language suggested defeat. She had obviously been crying, and both of her hands were covered in medical gauze, suggesting some sort of injury underneath. Her attire was completely different from the last time we ran into each other, and she was dressed in a pair of black slacks, which adorned impossibly long legs, a grey t-shirt, and a pair of black boots. She struggled to disguise a shudder that wracked her body, and looked back up at me.

"It's Doctor Isles, right?" She asked. "The names Rizzoli, Jane Rizzoli actually. I would shake your hand, but - she gestured clumsily in the direction of her heavily bandaged hands - I don't think I can."

"Oh yes, I am Doctor Isles. Maura Isles. I would say it is nice to meet you, but honestly I have no idea who you are…and really, I am not sure you should be down here" I responded.

"Relax Dr. Isles…I work here. Well, actually, today is my first day back…I have been gone a while."

At this point I was more confused than ever. Last time I had met this woman – Jane – she had been dressed as a prostitute. What did she mean when she said she worked here? I tried to process this information and come to some logical conclusion, when her name triggered something in my brain. Jane…Jane Rizzoli…Detective Rizzoli, I had heard that name before. To be honest, I never contributed much in inter-office chatting and gossiping, but that name had come up about a month prior in a conversation I overheard between two of my criminalists.

_"Did you hear about Detective Rizzoli?" one had asked _

_"Yeah, I can't believe that she went after that nut-job serial killer Hoyt without back-up! She must have a death wish or something."_

_ "Yeah, maybe not the best decision, but I think that takes some serious balls."_

_ "I guess…but two scalpels through your hands seems like a pretty high price to pay for catching the guy. She is lucky that Korsak was not too far behind…" _

_"They say that she broke down after the incident and Cavanaugh is forcing her to take a month of medical leave…" _

_"Yeah, well, you couldn't PAY me to come back to work after an incident like that."_

Remembering that conversation helped me to piece together a little bit of information on whom, exactly, this woman slumped on the floor crying her eyes out was. She was obviously in some distress, and I realized that today must have been her first day returning to work after whatever event caused her injury. I wasn't quite sure how to proceed at this point, so I knelt down to look her in the eye.

"Jane Rizzoli…that's Detective Jane Rizzoli, right?" I ventured a guess.

"Uh yeah. Homicide Division. I got promoted a few months ago from undercover in the Drug Unit. Can't say I miss that though, long days, longer nights, and I had to wear that freaking ridiculous outfit all the time" she quipped.

She seemed to be recovering from what looked like a pretty good cry, and she sniffed loudly and attempted to wipe the tears from her face. As she was trying to do so, I noticed that the bandages on both hands were wet with moisture, most likely from her tears.

"Oh! Your bandages are all wet Detective Rizzoli! " I said, "Dressings like that should remain dry in order to prohibit the growth of bacteria. Warm, moist environments are the breeding grounds for bacteria and you could possibly develop a staph infection or something more severe like –"

Jane cut me off before I could finish – "OK Doc, I gotcha. Hands should be dry. Jeeze, I have never heard so much information in one breath" she muttered. "So what do you think I should do about these bad boys?" she asked, holding up her hands.

"Well, if you like, I have all the supplies in my office to reapply a dry sterile dressing to each of your hands." I suggested.

"Yeah, that sounds good" she replied. "Besides, I don't want to get a shaft infection or something…"

"Its staph infection…" I started to reply, but was stopped when I noticed a small grin emerging on Jane's face.

"Yeah, I know" she said "just….testing…"

And with that, she ran her hand through her hair – the best she could with a bandaged hand- took a deep breath, wiped her face, and nimbly got to her feet.

"If you would follow me Detective Rizzoli, my office is just down the hall a bit"

"Sure Doc, but please, just call me Jane." "Well then, Jane it is. Let's go take a look at those bandages."

And with that, we moved down the hallway towards my office.

**A/N - Thanks to those of you who have read this so far and have posted encouraging comments! I appreciate you being willing to read my very first attempt at fanfiction! We are just getting started on this, and hopefully I can get into the swing of things soon! Hope you enjoyed Chap. 2!**


	3. Chapter 3

Chap. 3

We made our way down the hallway and rounded the corner towards my office. Jane stopped short in the threshold as we were about to enter.

"Holy crap Doc, nice digs you got here! Maybe I shoulda been a Medical Examiner, and maybe I wouldn't be sharing an office with a bunch of sweaty guys" she joked. "Do taxpayers pay for all of this?" She gestured to the walls, which were adorned in tribal masks, some of my favorite paintings, and painted in my favorite relaxing color.

"Well, the taxpayers of course paid for the office itself, but the decorations and furnishings were purchased by yours truly" I replied, as I rifled through a drawer in my desk looking for the appropriate medical supplies to reapply her dressings. "Expertly set up and designed by Boston's premier interior design firm though, as that is certainly not my area of expertise" I admitted.

"Gotcha" she responded, while moving to sit on one of the brightly colored designer chairs that I fell in love with while shopping online one day. She tentatively sat down, squirmed a bit, then jumped back to her feet. "Jesus, I don't know how much you paid for that thing, but that has gotta be the most uncomfortable piece of furniture ever made!"

"What do you mean? That is a designer piece, one of a kind!" I replied, somewhat defensively. "Anyways, how about you sit down on the couch? I have most of the supplies I need here to reapply those bandages, but need to grab a pair of scissors out of the morgue. Take a seat, I will be back in one moment."

Jane sat down slowly on the couch, and I could see her look of displeasure and she tried to get comfortable. "Doc, you gotta be kidding me, this is even worse that that chair" she groaned.

I wasn't sure if I should respond to that comment, and if I was, I wasn't sure how exactly to respond, so I simply turned and headed towards the morgue. I quickly and efficiently found the medical scissors I was looking for, and headed back towards my office. Before heading back into the room, I paused and looked at Jane through the large glass window. She had leaned back into the couch cushions – _it can't be THAT uncomfortable I thought smugly to myself_ - and her head was tilted back and resting along the back of the couch. Her hair cascaded down the back of the couch in long, dark waves. Her long legs were spread out, and perched on the coffee table in front. Although she looked as though she was quite comfortable, with her eyes closed, I could see the stress of what must have been a rough day displayed across her face. I admired her profile for a few moments, when she abruptly opened her eyes and turned towards me. We locked eyes, and suddenly I felt ashamed of standing there staring at her. I cleared my throat awkwardly, willed my blush of embarrassment off of my face, then moved back into the office to get down to business. Jane quickly removed her legs from the coffee table and moved towards the edge of the couch as I put my supplies down next to her, and then sat down on the coffee table to give me the best access to her hands.

"Okay Detective – sorry, Jane – I am going to remove these soiled dressings and replace them with dry, sterile ones" I explained. "I will try and be as gentle as possible, but please, let me know if I cause you any discomfort."

"Ok, will do" she replied. "Although, I am a Rizzoli, and I am a cop, so therefore I am pretty tough" she said, almost a little too emphatically. She looked up at me with a little uncertainty, but tried at the last minute to flash a cocky grin.

After putting on a pair of latex gloves, I moved closer and picked up her right hand, and as delicately as possible, began to cut the bulky bandage off. Removing the first layer of gauze, I was down to padded adhesive bandages, one over her palm, and one over the back of her hand. Given the placement of the bandages, these wounds indicated an injury consistent with a stabbing… a through-and-through stabbing, or impalement. Looking up quickly at Jane to make sure she was still okay, she nodded slightly and I began to gently remove the final layer of bandage. I willed myself not to react as an angry, red, mostly scabbed over wound appeared on Jane's palm. Turning her hand over gently I was able to confirm my suspicion in regards to the nature of the wound. On the back of her hand was another wound, identical to the first. While I wanted to maintain a professional front and to maintain the confidentiality of what was, for all intents and purposes a complete stranger, my curiosity about the injury got the better of me.

"Jane, without sounding too intrusive, how did you get these wounds?" I ventured.

She hesitated for a minute, and her body stiffened a bit. Jane took a deep breath, and sighed deeply before she responded. She wouldn't look me in the eye. "Scalpels" she breathed out in a low raspy voice. Clearing her throat, she elaborated a bit – "I was pinned down by a serial killer about a month ago. One scalpel through each hand…" – she trailed off, clearly not wanted to rehash what must have been an extremely harrowing experience in front of a complete stranger.

Once again, I willed myself not to react, and refrained from asking any further questions, which was easier said than done. I tried to focus again on the wounds in front of me, and took her wrist in my hand to hold her hand steady, and began to apply a thin layer of antibiotic ointment to the wound on her palm. She breathed sharply inward and tried to pull her hand away but my light grip on her wrist prevented her from doing so.

"Oh sorry Jane! Was I hurting you?" I asked in dismay. The last thing I wanted to do was cause her pain.

Her eyes flicked upward and met mine. "No…it doesn't really hurt, just… well the skin is still wicked raw and sensitive," she admitted. "The wounds had mostly healed up but reopened a few days ago when I was doing physical therapy."

That made sense, if the attack had happened over a month ago (according to my eavesdropping session a few weeks back). The wounds should have been healed almost completely if that was the case. That explained why the scars were so red and not completely scabbed over. Turning her hand gently over, while still keeping a hold of her wrist, I started to spread ointment on the wound on the back of her hand. When I had finished doing so, I opened up two sterile adhesive bandages, and applied one to each wound on her right hand. After smoothing those down gently into place, I picked up the roll of gauze with my free hand, and began to slowly wrap it around her hand to provide one last barrier between her wound and the environment.

Jane shifted slightly on the couch and cleared her throat a bit. I looked up, as she seemed like she wanted to say something. We held each other's gaze for a few seconds and then I resumed wrapping, as it seemed like she decided against saying whatever she was going to.

"Do you think it will get better?" she blurted out. As I looked back up at her face, I noticed tears filling her eyes, threatening to spill down her cheeks.

"Well, although my background is in pathology and not trauma or surgery, in my professional opinion, these wounds seem to be healing fairly well. Even in spite of the wounds reopening recently. Luckily, scalpels leave a clean edge when they cut, which in this case will likely result in minimal scarring once these wounds have healed completely" I replied.

The tears that were pooling in Jane's eyes had finally started to run down her cheeks and she seemed to be more upset, which surprised me given that I had just delivered a fairly good prognosis to her. Reaching down, I grabbed a piece of unused gauze and without thinking, began to dab at the wetness on her face.

"No, I mean…I appreciate that my hands are on the right track and all Doc, but honestly, today was the worst day I have had in a long time" she managed to say between sobs. "Maybe I came back too soon…should have taken more time to get my shit together or whatever. I didn't think it would be this hard. I can't talk to Korsak, there is just too much shit that went down that night. My new partner Frost seems good, but I barely know the guy ya know? I can't just drop all of this shit on him just to make myself feel better. And my Ma…Jesus, I can't talk to her. She has basically hovered non-stop since the Hoyt thing. I thought she was bad before, but come on!" After getting all of that out, Jane slumped down, and her body seemed to melt into the couch.

Something stirred deep within me, and even though we barely knew each other, I wished there was some way I could take her pain, physical and emotional, away. I continued wiping the tears as they fell from her cheeks, and tentatively brought my other hand up to reassuringly stroke her upper arm. We stayed like that for a few moments, and eventually Jane began to calm down and her tears stopped. After wiping the last of the moisture off her face, I placed my other hand on her arm, and was now holding her gently by both shoulders. Leaning in towards her, I waited until she brought her eyes up to meet mine. I was once again taken by the intensity of her deep brown eyes, realizing for the first time how beautiful this woman was, and struggled for a minute to compose my thoughts. I didn't really know what the protocol was for a situation like this but I figured I could at least offer to be there for her in case she ever wanted to talk.

So I threw it out there - "Jane, I know we are essentially strangers, but I want to offer something to you. Although I don't know much about what happened to you, I want you to know that if you want to talk to someone, you can certainly come talk to me. I am obviously not a psychologist or anything, but I will always listen. Maybe it would be good for you to talk to someone who is completely removed from the situation."

Jane nodded slightly, and then we sat there in silence for a few moments. Suddenly, I noticed I had resumed lightly rubbing her upper arms at some point, and was still doing so. As discretely as possibly, I stopped and pulled my hands away from her, and tried not to make eye contact with Jane while doing so. Our eyes did meet though, and I noticed that Jane was blushing a bit, as I am sure I was too. She took a deep breath, then started to chuckle quietly. My confusion must have been evident on my face because she started to apologize.

"Sorry Dr. Isles…I didn't mean to laugh. I just can't believe I have been crying and spilling all this personal stuff to someone I have known for like, all of five seconds" she said.

"No, really, I don't mind. The offer stands if you ever need to talk again, honestly"- I reinforced again – "besides, dead bodies don't really make for very good company." I attempted to lighten the mood a bit, even if comedy had never been my strong suit.

She fully laughed at that. Her laugh was deep and rich, and seemed to stem from deep within her body. It was good to see her smile, even if it was for such a brief moment. We sat there for a few moments before I realized that I had only finished the bandages on one of her hands. I took her left wrist in my hand, and repeated the process of reapplying her bandages on her left hand.

When I finished, I looked up to find Jane looking at me expectantly.

"Well, its pretty late…so I guess I should hit the dusty trail. Thanks for helping fix my bandages Doc. And…for listening and whatever."

"You are more than welcome Jane. But one thing, you can call me Maura. You know…if you want." I smiled tentatively.

"Alright, Maura it is. So…uh…can I have my hand back Maura?" Jane grinned slightly and looked down.

It was at that point that I noticed I was still gripping her wrist lightly, and released it quickly. Blushing, I started to pack up the medical supplies and got to my feet. Jane started towards the door, and was just about to head out and down the hallway when she turned back towards me.

"Hey Maura, its pretty late, if you are ready to leave, I can walk you to your car" she offered. "I mean, I am headed in the same direction, so it's no big deal. It's the least I can do for you after you helped me tonight."

"Thanks for the offer Jane, I would appreciate that."

And with that, I gathered my things, shut off the light to my office, then shut and locked the door behind me. We walked in silence as we got on the elevator that took us to the parking garage. Jane held the door open as we headed out into the parking structure. I got out my car keys and disengaged the alarm on my Mercedes.

"Well, this is me. Thanks for walking me out Jane. Keep those bandages clean and dry, and you should see those wounds healed relatively soon."

"Yeah, thanks, I will" – she replied – "Have a good night Maura…I will see you around."

"Yes you too Jane. Have a good night"

It wasn't until I got home and was in bed after my nightly routine that I was able to process the night's events. I had had precisely two interactions with Jane Rizzoli, and was surprised to find myself hoping that there would be more.


	4. Chapter 4

Chap. 4

In the weeks that followed, I began to see more and more of Jane, which was logical given that she had now returned from her medical leave. At first, it was fairly casual with us passing in the hallway, or saying a quick hello as I delivered some lab results to the detectives in the bullpen. We hadn't spent much time together, and so far she hadn't initiated any more interactions between us.

It didn't take long for Jane and I to be assigned to a case together. Honestly, I wasn't sure what to expect, but I was glad that it was no longer Detective Crowe working alongside me. His bad attitude, sexist remarks, and poor attention to detail were not helpful to workplace morale, and certainly reflected poorly on his skills as a detective. Since our interaction in my office a few weeks ago, I had surreptitiously asked around a bit about Jane, hoping to know a little bit more about her. The majority of what I heard was positive, so I was genuinely looking forward to being assigned to a case with her.

One night my phone went off as I was finishing up an autopsy in the morgue. I took off my latex gloves and pushed the "accept" button and put the phone to my ear.

"This is Doctor Isles."

"Oh hey Maura, its Jane. Hey, we gotta case…you in?"

"Sure Jane. I have a few things to finish up here in the morgue, but I will meet you there shortly. Text me the location."

"Gotcha. Will do. See you in a while."

I pulled up to the crime scene close to an hour later. I had changed out of my scrubs before heading to the crime scene, and was wearing a grey skirt, one of my favorite tops, and a pair of Jimmy Choos. Grabbing my things out of the trunk of my car, I scanned the wooded area and saw Jane, Detective Korsak, and Detective Frost gathered down towards a small stream about 50 yards away. I slipped under the yellow crime scene tape and made my way towards them.

"Good evening Detectives. What have we got?" I greeted them enthusiastically. I noticed Jane look me up and down, apparently appraising my outfit, then exchange a look with Detective Frost. Slipping on a pair of latex gloves, I crouched down to get a better look at the suspect. Jane crouched down as well and began to give me a rundown of the situation.

"Male victim, ID found nearby indicates he was-"

"Detective Rizzoli, what are you doing?" -I cut her off irritably – "You need to back up or we risk compromising the crime scene!"

Jane looked at me quizzically, then slowly stood up and backed up slightly. "Oh, uh, sorry Maura, but you know this isn't my first rodeo right?"

"Of course I know that Jane, but we haven't worked together before and I always strive to make sure we get as much forensic evidence from the crime scene and we can't take a chance by getting careless." I replied passionately.

"Alright, I get it. Calm down" Jane whispered fiercely. She put her hands – which I noticed were bandage free – on her hips, and let out a sigh of frustration. "As I was saying, male victim, ID found nearby indicates he was Randy Gerson, age 42. Looks like he was killed by a gunshot to the head."

I looked up at her, annoyed that she was already jumping to conclusions when I hadn't even had a chance to examine the body. Poking around a bit, I rolled the victim over to look at the back of his head, where the "alleged" gunshot wound was. Detective Frost, who had gone to sweep the area for more evidence, returned with an evidence bag in his hand. He gagged as he looked at the body again, and obviously exerting effort not to vomit, handed the bag to Jane before turning around and putting a hand to his mouth.

"Found this hanging off a branch a ways away" – he reported – "It looks like some fabric or material, but it looks like there is blood on it. It could be the killer's blood, we should run it for DNA."

Jane dropped back down to where I was still examining the body and handed me the evidence bag. "What to you think Maura? Blood, right? Should I pass this along to the crime lab for DNA testing?"

I took the bag and looked at the piece of fabric. "Jane, while I do note the presence of a reddish-brown stain on this material, I cannot confirm the presence of blood, and we should turn this over to the crime lab for more testing."

Jane was decidedly annoyed at this point, and groaned loudly before standing up and walking back towards the cars. "Jesus Maura, are you always like this?"

I decided not to dignify her question with a response, and after examining the body further for a few minutes, told the others on my team to transport the body to the morgue so I could begin the autopsy in the morning. Taking off my gloves, I straightened up and moved back up the gentle slope towards our cars.

Detective Korsak and Detective Frost must have left to return to headquarters, as Jane was sitting in her car rubbing her hands and still looked a little bit irritated. I leaned down to speak to her through the window.

"The victim is being transported back to the morgue. I plan on a full autopsy tomorrow. You are free to join me if you like for the autopsy. While I can't officially confirm his cause of death as a gunshot to the back of his head, I can say that his injuries are consistent with such a scenario."

"Thanks Captain Obvious" she replied sarcastically "A blind man could have told us that…"

I frowned a bit then looked at Jane.

"Jane, did I do something wrong? Have I upset you?"

"No….I mean yes, oh, I don't know" –she breathed out – "You and I obviously have two different styles when it comes to crime scenes, and I guess I don't know what I was expecting, but I do know what I am doing , and I am a damn good detective!" she finished passionately.

"Oh. I am sorry you feel that way. Yes. I would agree that you and I have different styles when it comes to crime scenes, but that is why you are a detective and I am a Medical Examiner. I rely on science, data, and evidence to do my job, and I was simply stating my concern that we didn't ruin the source of evidence. I didn't mean to insinuate that you are not a good detective. From what I hear, you are one of the best at BPD."

Jane looked down at her hands, which were lying in her lap. She took a deep breath and asked, "Hey Maura, you wanna get a drink at the Dirty Robber?" Her eyes rose to meet mine.

Although her question seemed a little out of place and took me a little by surprise, I had to admit that the idea of getting a drink with a colleague sounded like fun. I spent most evenings at home by myself, so getting out for a bit was quite appealing.

"Yes Jane, I would love to get a drink with you. Let me just take these samples back to the lab, then I can meet you at this Dirty Robber place."

Jane smiled and turned the key in the ignition. "Sure thing Maura. I will see you there in a bit." She put the car in gear and pulled off the shoulder onto the road and drove away.

Back at headquarters, I was able to log in the evidence and sign for the body in record time. I freshened up a bit in my office and headed to the Dirty Robber. I was familiar with the establishment, which was often frequented by police officers as well as the crime lab staff, even though I had never been there myself. I pushed open the door and looked around, scanning the room for Jane. I was able to find her, and she put a hand up and waved me over to the booth she was occupying.

Jane had one empty beer bottle in front of her, and was looking pretty relaxed. I realized I had never seen her outside of work, and the relaxation looked good on her. She smiled at me and motioned for me to sit down.

"Hey Jane. Thanks for inviting me out" I said as I settled down across from her.

"Hey yourself" she replied casually "What are you drinking Dr. Isles?"

"Wine…I will have some white wine please." I doubted that a bar such as this one would offer the types of wine I preferred, but the other option was beer, and I harbored a strong dislike for beer. Wine seemed like the best choice.

Jane motioned for the waitress to come over and she ordered another beer for herself along with my wine. She told the waitress to just put it on her tab, which led me to believe that Jane was a frequent patron here at the bar. We sat for a few minutes waiting for our drinks to arrive while Jane played with the bowl of peanuts on our table.

When our drinks finally arrived, Jane took a long pull from her beer then looked at me. "So, Maura, tell me about yourself."

Her question seemed quite bold, and for a minute I tried to formulate a response, before realizing I needed her to clarify her question.

"What do you mean Jane? What do you want to know?"

"Oh just the basics…where you grew up, your family, how you became a medical examiner…you know, tell me about yourself." She replied as if her question was obvious. "I mean, you know a little bit about me…and you have seen me cry, so I figured it was time to find about who Dr. Maura Isles is." She took another sip of her beer and settled into the booth a bit more.

"Well, I was born in Boston. I was adopted after birth, and spent the first part of my life here in Boston. When I was eight, my parents sent me to boarding school in Europe, where I finished my primary and secondary schooling. After I graduated high school, I came back to Boston for college and attended BCU. Then I did medical school at Harvard Med, and worked for a few years in Western Massachusetts as an assistant Medical Examiner, before landing the job here at BPD. So that's pretty much it" I finished lamely.

"Do you have any siblings?" Jane threw out another question.

"No. Only child. How about you?"

"Unfortunately yes. I am the oldest, but have two younger brothers. They can be a wicked pain in the ass, but when it comes down to it, I love the idiots. Frankie actually works as a patrol officer at BPD too. Tommy…well Tommy has made some totally crap decisions and is in the slammer for the time being. It tears my Ma up, but she is proud of me and Frankie."

We nursed our drinks for a bit, before Jane posed another question.

"You dating anyone? Married? Single?"

"Not dating at the moment, definitely single. My track record with men is not the best. I tend to find myself diagnosing them with an assortment of maladies when we are on dates." I laughed in spite of myself. "I just can't help myself it seems…"

Jane laughed loudly. "Well, honestly that makes me feel better about my crappy love life. Or…lack of love life. I think my Ma is gonna burst if I don't get married and pop out some baby Rizzolis in the next few years" she added. "I swear, that woman has a one-track mind when it comes to grandbabies."

I laughed too, and was hit with a pang of jealousy. My mother and I never had a close relationship, and hearing Jane talk about her family made me wish that I had siblings and a mother who would fuss over me to give her grandchildren. I must have outwardly indicated my distress, because Jane's hand suddenly reached across the table and covered mine. The scar on her palm felt rough on the back of my hand.

Looking up, her eyes focused intensely on mine. "Maura, what's wrong? Did I say something wrong?" There was concern etched all over her face.

"No Jane, you didn't say anything wrong. It's just, hearing you talk about your family made me think about mine, and how cold and distant my parents were with me. I spent most of my childhood and early adult years alone, and sometimes I feel as though I am destined to spend my adult years alone too." I found myself surprisingly emotional as I admitted my fear to Jane.

Jane squeezed my hand tighter and tipped my chin up with her other hand, while leaning in closer towards me. Those deep brown eyes never failed to hold my gaze, and I could see the intensity in them as she spoke.

"Maura, I know that we are still getting to know each other, but I already know that you are an extremely intelligent woman who is incredibly competent and successful in her chosen field. And I can also say that you are a gorgeous woman, and some day, whoever you find yourself settling down with will be absolutely the luckiest person on the face of the earth."

I could see the blushing creeping across Jane's cheeks as she spoke those words passionately to me, and all at once I was acutely aware of my senses. I could feel the warmth of her hand covering mine, and could see those brown eyes staring back at me. There was a faint smell of lavender in the air, and I couldn't help but wonder if Jane smelled like lavender. The taste of the wine lingered in my mouth, and the background noise of the bar seemed to fade out, as my eyes remained locked on hers.

A crash and the sound of broken glass snapped us out of our reverie. Jane quickly pulled her hand away and I was sad to feel the loss of contact. She quickly drained the rest of her beer and grabbed her jacket off the hook at the end of the booth.

"Hey it's late. I should go" She looked at me, obviously unsure of how to act after we had shared that intense moment.

I cleared my throat. "Yeah it is late. Thanks for the drink and for inviting me out. I don't do much outside of work so it is nice to be able to interact with colleagues outside of work" I admitted.

Jane frowned "Ugh, colleagues…that word sounds so snobby. How about we consider each other friends Maura?"

I had never really had friends before, so having someone deem themself my friend sounded pretty good to me.

"Yes Jane. I would love to be considered a friend. I am going to start the autopsy at 9am tomorrow if you would like to join."

"Sounds good Maura. I have to start some paperwork on this new case first thing tomorrow, but I should be able to stop down mid-morning to check on things. Ok, gotta run, my bed is calling my name."

"Bye Jane, see you in the morning."

I stayed behind for a few minutes and finished up my wine. I mulled over the day's events in my head and replayed our conversation about families and being alone over as well. While it was clear that Jane and I come from very different backgrounds, and do things very differently at crime scenes, I was glad to have someone like her in my life. We had both been able to comfort the other in vulnerable moments, and I could already tell that she would be someone who I could confide in if I never needed to. I was truly glad to have a friend.

**A/N** **- Thanks to those of you who have been reading and following and posting such encouraging comments. Still getting the hang of things here, but stick with me and we should be getting to the Rizzles soon!**


	5. Chapter 5

Chap. 5

Now that we were "officially" friends, Jane and I began to spend a lot of time with each other, both at work, and outside of work. The weeks and months passed quickly, and soon I was realizing how much I had missed by never really having a friend before. It was wonderful to be able to talk to someone about the cases, and it was even fun to have Jane in the morgue, even if my careful and methodical examination of victims still drove her crazy. But her devil-may-care attitude at crime scenes and her semi-reckless actions while chasing down perps drove me crazy as well. We often went out for drinks after work, sometimes just the two of us, and sometimes with Detectives Frost and Korsak. She introduced me to her younger brother Frankie, who worked with us at BPD, and he became a frequent fixture at our crime scenes as well.

One Friday as we were leaving work Jane surprised me by inviting me over to her apartment for what she referred to as "Rizzoli Family Dinner." While we had been spending a lot of time together, this was the first time either of us had invited the other to our home. I was nervous at the thought of intruding on her time with her family, and hesitated with my response.

"Come on Maur, it will be fun" –she reassured- "It's a Sunday tradition in my family. Ma makes a big dinner and we all just hang out and eat. It gets a little rowdy sometimes, cus after all, it is the Rizzolis. But no pressure! Frost and Korsak usually come too…and you know Frankie…" she smiled hopefully.

The fact that Jane considered me a good enough friend to include me in her family unit at this point was slightly overwhelming. But in the end, a little more gentle prodding from Jane helped me make up my mind and I decided to attend.

Saturday passed quickly into Sunday, and before I knew it, I was standing outside Jane's apartment, and could already hear the animated sounds of arguing from inside her apartment. I nervously smoothed out my cashmere cardigan, and upon realizing my palms were sweaty, I wiped them down the thighs of my designer jeans. Unsure of where the nerves were coming from, I took a deep calming breath, and raised my hand to knock on the door.

Seconds after knocking, the door flew open. I was met with the sight of a seemingly frazzled Jane, wearing her favorite pair of jeans and her favorite BPD t-shirt, which were both covered in flour. I discreetly scanned her up and down, and realized she also had some streaks of flour in her hair, which stood out in stark contrast to her dark curls. She noticed my scrutinizing glance and sheepishly grinned at me.

"Hey Maur" – she started – "I was helping Ma make the gnocchi, and as you can see, this is the result." She gestured down at her dusty clothing. "Now you know why my specialties are Lucky Charms and grilled cheese...less mess...Oh gosh, you are still standing there…come on in. Welcome to my apartment…it's nothing special," she said while ushering me inside.

I entered her apartment and could immediately smell the delicious scent of what smelled like homemade spaghetti sauce. Frankie was sprawled out on the couch watching a baseball game, and raised his beer in greeting, "Hey Maura" he called out. I took a moment to take in my surroundings, and was pleasantly surprised with how warm and inviting Jane's apartment was. Although there was a fair amount of sports paraphernalia adorning the walls, there were also pictures of her family prominently displayed around the living room. The most surprising thing was there was a piano in one corner of the room. I was not aware that Jane played, and made a mental note to ask Jane about it later on. Putting my purse down on the piano bench, I rolled up my sleeves followed Jane back towards the kitchen to see if there was anything I could do to help prepare dinner.

The deliciously savory smells intensified as we reached the kitchen, and standing at the stove stirring a large pot of sauce was what I assumed to be Jane's mother. Jane made it a point to introduce us as soon as I walked in.

"Hey Ma, this is Dr. Maura Isles. We work together"- she stated simply - "Maura, this is my mother Angela Rizzoli."

Angela turned around and smiled brightly while extending her hand. I could definitely see the family resemblance, and the first thing I noticed was how kind her eyes were.

"Hello Dr. Isles, it is nice to meet you. My Janie talks about you a lot, so it is finally nice to put a face to the name."

We shook hands, and out of the corner of my eye, I noticed Jane blushing slightly. She raised a hand to rake through her hair; something I had come to learn was a bit of a nervous habit for her.

"The pleasure is mine Angela. Please, call me Maura. Everything smells wonderful, is there anything I can do to help?"

"Oh no, just make yourself at home" she replied, "Janie and I have everything taken care of. Dinner should be ready soon."

Frost and Korsak arrived not too long after, and soon we were all seated at the dinner table, which was full of delicious looking, home-cooked food. Before we began to dig in, Jane stood up and cleared her throat. Raising her bottle of beer, she began to speak:

"I just wanted to thank you all for coming. I especially wanted to extend a special welcome to Maura, as this is her first time experiencing the Rizzoli chaos…" – the rest of the guests chucked a bit and exchanged knowing glances – "But really, I wanted to say we are glad to have you here, and wanted to let you know that you are always welcome here." She raised her beer bottle a little higher. "So, to good family, good friends, and new friends…cheers." She looked across at me and smiled widely.

My cheeks grew warm, but I returned her smile and clinked my wine glass with the other glasses and bottles of beer in turn. And with that, we ate.

I quickly learned that Rizzoli Family Dinner was in fact a riotous and rambunctious affair. My head swiveled back and forth trying to follow the banter and the multiple conversations that were happening at once. Jane began to argue about the Red Sox with Frankie, and Frost and Korsak seemed to be heatedly discussing a controversial case we had been working on for the past few days. I slowly ate my food, which was truly one of the best meals I had ever eaten, and just let the noise wash over me. _So this is what it is like to have a family_ I caught myself thinking. I could almost imagine growing up in the Rizzoli family, and truly wished I had.

Shaking my head to bring me out of my own thoughts, I looked across the table towards Jane. The discussion with Frankie had certainly escalated, and I watched Jane as she wildly and emphatically gestured with her hands to make a point. My eyes drifted upwards to watch her facial expressions, and I was immediately drawn to her eyes once again, which were blazing with passion as she continued her argument. Her dark curls – still dusted with a small amount of flour - were threatening to escape her ponytail. In this moment, I could only describe her in one way: passionate. I couldn't look away. I had seen her look this way many times before, usually when interrogating a suspect or pitching her theory on a case to Frost or Korsak. She was truly a force to be reckoned with, and I could see that Frankie was just about ready to give up in defeat. After a few moments, it seemed Jane had finally won her argument, and pumped her fists in the air in victory. She looked around the table, and her gaze settled on mine for a few seconds. Her face lit up in a grin and she mouthed the words "I win" in my direction. I smiled back and gave her a thumbs- up in support.

After much lively conversation and one glass of wine too many, I was ready to head home and prepare for the coming work week. I thanked Angela for the delicious food, and turned to Jane to thank her for inviting me.

"Jane, I truly had a great time tonight. Thanks for inviting me, and thanks for your little speech. It meant a lot to have you acknowledge me as not only your friend, but also part of your family." I said quietly.

"No worries Maur, I'm glad you could come. By the way, this is a standing invitation…every Sunday you are welcome here. We can get carried away some times, and Ma can't shut up about me settling down and making her some grandkids, but I wouldn't trade time with my family and friends for anything. Just know you are always welcome. Seriously." She bent her knees slightly so that we were at eye level.

Overwhelmed slightly by the night's events and by the knowledge that people – and Jane – wanted my company, tears welled up in my eyes. Despite my best efforts, one tear slipped down my cheek. I turned quickly to make my exit into the hallway, but Jane caught my arm before I could make a hasty exit. Keeping a light grip on my arm, she pulled me out into the hallway and closed the door most of the way behind her to give us some privacy.

"Hey...hey Maur, what's wrong?" she asked, taking me gently and bringing me close to her side so her arm was now around my shoulders hugging me lightly. "What did I say?" She reached up with her other hand and gently wiped the solitary tear off my face.

"No Jane. I'm okay, really. Just overwhelmed a bit. I never have felt like I belong before, but tonight was the first time where I felt like I am completely accepted. I am just really happy to have finally met people who I can call friends. I'm just really happy to have you." I managed to say without crying any more tears.

Jane visibly relaxed, then waited a moment before responding. The hand across my back was rubbing reassuring circles on my shoulder. "Oh good…and here I was thinking you were crying because my cooking was bad…" she joked and turned to grin at me.

I couldn't hold back my laughter at that point, and Jane pulled me into a quick hug. We had been friends for some months now, but hadn't hugged before. I was surprised at first by the contact when our torsos met, but Jane's arms held me strongly to her body and I could feel the warmth radiating from her. She smelled like lavender.

Almost as quickly as she initiated the hug, she released me. "I am happy to have met you too Maura" she said quietly and sincerely "Thanks for putting up with my crazy family. Just wait until Tommy gets out. Ten bucks says it will be a thousand times louder…" she chuckled.

I laughed again, and turned to head down the hallway. It had been a good night.


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N: Thanks again to all of you who have been following this story. It makes me smile to think that people are enjoying it. As always, constructive criticism is of course welcome. Anything to help make me a better writer. I borrowed some dialogue from the pilot for this chapter, so I hope that is kosher ;) Happy reading.**

Chap. 6

For the most part, Jane and I didn't discuss Charles Hoyt that often. We had talked about it a few times after the night when I changed her bandages, but I could sense that her experience had been quite harrowing, and I certainly did not want to bring her more pain to satisfy my own curiosity. I had learned some more details about the night from Korsak, but still only had a very basic understanding of how much Jane had gone through that night.

We had gotten a call one evening about a possible homicide in a wealthy neighborhood, and when we all arrived at the scene, it was clear that this case would be personal for Jane. After examining the body of the victim as well as looking around the crime scene for more evidence, I noticed Jane become agitated when she noticed a teacup lying on the floor.

"Is he out? Is the surgeon out?" She asked pointedly at Korsak.

"No, he's not out, it's his MO is all" he replied defensively

"Korsak, why didn't you warn us? You could have warned Jane at least" I said angrily.

"Hey, I wanted your unbiased assessment is all." He hesitated for a minute before continuing "It's Hoyt right?"

"Korsak, we put that son of a bitch behind bars. You tell me how this is possible?" Jane said hoarsely. I could tell even in the dim light that Jane had paled slightly in the past few minutes.

"Don't worry Jane, the jail assured me he is in lockdown. This wasn't Hoyt." Korsak tried to reassure her.

Jane looked up nervously at me. "Yeah, well, looks like Hoyt has trained an apprentice."

As the investigation continued, the evidence all pointed to Hoyt. It was clear we were all in over our heads when the FBI entered the investigation. The arrival of Special Agent Gabriel Dean added to the tension. The stress wore on Jane, who seemed to be almost always rubbing at the scars on her hands, and the dark circles under her eyes really worried me. She and Frost went to visit Hoyt and the jail, and I will never forget the look in her eyes when she came back. When it seemed as though things couldn't get worse, we learned that Charles Hoyt had escaped custody.

The shit hit the proverbial fan at that point. Cavanaugh ordered that Jane have a uniformed officer outside her apartment at all times, which although she fought it at first, she admitted to me she thought it was a good idea. Agent Dean had asked me to consult on a case that was likely linked to the murders we were investigating, and I had less time to spend with Jane. I wished I could have been with her all the time, even though I knew I couldn't protect her the way she would need to be protected if it came to that.

A few days later, I was home waiting for Agent Dean to drop off some files for me to review. I heard a knock on the door and moved to open it. I checked the peephole first to see who it was, and I was slightly surprised to see Jane's form waiting outside my door. She shouldn't have been out by herself with Hoyt on the loose, especially this late at night. I opened the door quickly and pulled her inside without saying a word.

"Jane…how are you?" I asked, even though I could plainly see just how stressed she was by looking at her face.

"I'm alright Maura. Ma is driving me crazy. Is it okay if I crash here for a bit?" She moved towards the fridge and opened it up to grab one of the beers I kept in there for her.

"Sure Jane. You know you are always welcome here." I replied.

We had gotten in the habit of having inadvertent sleepovers at my house on occasion. After watching movies or having dinner and drinks, Jane was often too tired (or, on a few occasions too drunk) to drive home. My home was quite spacious, so she had a standing invitation to use the guest room for such situations.

Jane grabbed the bottle opener out of one of the kitchen drawers and opened up her beer. She tossed the cap into the trash and took a long drink from her bottle. She kicked off her shoes and headed towards the guest bedroom. I followed her, sensing that she needed company for the time being. She put her beer down on the bedside table before pulling off her BPD sweatshirt and flopping down on the bed in her tank top and sweats. She grabbed the beer and took another long drink before looking at me expectantly and patting the bed beside her. Without giving it much thought, I kicked off my heels and lay down next to her.

We lay there for a few minutes before I heard a knock at the front door again. Jane jumped beside me and seemed to grope around near the bedside table for a minute before realizing she wasn't at home and her gun wasn't there.

I put my hand out to touch her shoulder. "Relax Jane, it's just Agent Dean. I will be back in one minute."

Agent Dean was only there for a brief minute, and passed along the case files along with his business card so I could contact him with any insight in the case. After thanking him for personally delivering the files to me, I showed him out, put the files on the kitchen counter then returned back to the guest room.

Jane had moved under the covers and she was facing away from me as I entered the room. Her beer sat unfinished on the bedside table, surely creating a condensation ring on the deep chestnut wood. Sighing, I shut off the light and moved to get under the covers with her. For a moment, I hesitated, wondering if it was appropriate for best friends to sleep in the same bed. I wasn't sure of the protocol since I had never had one. Logically, I knew that Jane needed a friend right now, so I decided to throw caution to the wind and slipped under the sheets.

"Maur"- Jane's raspy voice startled me. I had assumed she was asleep – "I have never been so scared in all my life." She turned over to face me. She was so close. I could feel her breath moving my hair as she breathed in and out.

I slowly raised my hand and put it on her bare arm and began to rub small circles to comfort her as best I could. I couldn't even imagine how terrifying this was for her. All I knew was it was killing me to see her like this. She was normally so vibrant, so passionate, and so –for lack of a better term- badass (Jane's term, not mine). Seeing her in such a vulnerable state was truly disconcerting. I could only hope for her sake that we were able to catch Hoyt, and soon. I moved my hand from her upper arm to rest in her hair, and stroked the soft curls for a few moments. Smoothing an unruly curl behind her ear, I looked at her and simply said, "I know Jane."


	7. Chapter 7

Chap. 7

An incessant buzzing noise woke me out of a deep slumber the next morning. As I slowly opened my eyes, I tried to make sense of my unfamiliar surroundings. Something was tickling my face and something warm and heavy was draped over my chest. I shifted slightly in the bed the best I could and realized Jane was fast asleep next to me. Her hair was spread out over the pillow and had made its way to rest on my neck and face, and her arm was the culprit draped over my chest. She looked so peaceful and I didn't want to wake her when she had clearly been showing signs of sleep deprivation the past few days, so I delicately removed her arm from around me and slid over towards the bedside table on my side of the bed.

After feeling around a bit I was able to locate my phone, which was the source of the buzzing. I managed to clear my throat and answer just before it went to voicemail.

"This is Dr. Isles" -I tried my best to not sound like I had just woken up.

"Doctor Isles, this is Agent Dean. Listen, I know it's early, but we are going to need to you to come to Quantico to examine some new evidence that may provide some leads in the Hoyt case. I know this is last minute, but we could really use your expertise Doctor. We have a chartered flight leaving from Logan at 9:30am. You should be on it. We can have you back in Boston by later this evening if all goes according to schedule."

Groaning inwardly, I paused to think about the situation. Jane was going through an extremely tough situation, and I really didn't want to have to abandon her. But at the same time, if the FBI is requesting your presence at Quantico, you really can't argue. Sighing, I confirmed with Agent Dean that I would meet him at Logan Airport for the flight, under the condition that I return to Boston later this evening. I hung up the phone and lay back on the bed in frustration.

My movement caused Jane to stir. She brought her hands up to rub her eyes then opened them slowly and looked towards me while blinking to adjust in the morning sunlight.

"Hey" – she managed to get out in a hoarse voice – "What time is it?"

"It's 6:08am Jane. How did you sleep?"

She paused for a minute as if contemplating the quality of her sleep was of the utmost importance, then answered: "Pretty good actually. First night I haven't had nightmares in a long time" she admitted. "Did I hear you talking on the phone just now?"

"Yes. Agent Dean called." I waited for a moment to try and figure out the best way to tell her I had to leave. I knew she wasn't going to take this lightly.

"Jane…I don't really know how to tell you this, but the FBI is requesting my presence at Quantico. They have a flight all set up for me, and I really need to be on it. I can't tell you any more details, but please know that I really don't want to have to leave you like this."

Jane looked at me for a few moments, and then looked down at her hands. Her disappointment was written all over her face. Her eyes snapped back up to meet mine, and she finally replied coolly: "It's fine Maur. You can't exactly argue with the FBI. When do you leave?"

Even though I wasn't the best at picking up social cues, I could obviously tell that everything _wasn't_ fine but responded anyway. "Well accounting for morning rush hour traffic and the time it will take me to get ready, I probably need to leave within the next hour."

"Well…don't let _me_ stop you." -came the curt reply. Jane swung her legs out from underneath the covers and picked up her sweatshirt off the floor and put it on. She quickly put her hair up into a messy ponytail and stalked off towards the kitchen. I followed her into the kitchen where she gathered up her shoes and without even putting them on walked towards the door.

"Jane….come on Jane! Let me explain. Please don't go back out there by yourself. It isn't safe." I tried to reason with her but I sensed it was too late.

"I have to go Maura" – she replied icily, and opened the door to leave.

"I'll call you as soon as I get-"

The door slammed before I had a chance to finish.

"Back."

* * *

As hard as it was for me to put all the emotions behind me, I knew I had a job to do. I showered and dressed, and packed up my briefcase before grabbing a taxi to Logan. I passed the time on the way to the airport by reading up on the case files that Agent Dean had dropped off last night. The traffic wasn't that bad, and we were able to make it to the airport in plenty of time for the flight.

After arriving in Quantico, I was all business. The faster I could examine the evidence meant the faster I could return back to Boston to help with things on that end. Fortunately, my examination of the evidence, although thorough, didn't end up taking that long, so Agent Dean set me up for a flight back to Boston at 5:15pm. As long as there were no delays due to weather, I would be back in Boston by 7pm. On my way back to the airport I dialed Jane's number to let her know I would be back in a few hours. Her phone rang, but strangely went straight to voicemail. I sighed, realizing that Jane must have been upset with me. She never ignored my calls. I decided the best thing would be to send her a text message to let her know what was happening.

_Jane - I wanted to let you know I was able to get a flight back tonight and will be landing in Boston at 7pm. I will call you as soon as I land. Hope you are alright. – Maura_

I pressed "send" and powered down my phone as we had arrived at the terminal and would be boarding the plane in a few minutes. Tucking it away in my handbag, I collected my things and stepped out of the taxi.

The flight back to Boston was relatively uneventful, with some minor turbulence being the only thing we had to deal with. As soon as we landed I turned my phone back on to check for missed calls and texts. When it had powered back up, I was happy to see a text from Jane as well as two missed calls and two voicemails, one from Detective Frost, and one from Detective Korsak. I was eager to see what Jane had to say, so I opened up her text first.

_M – CALL FROST. –J_

That was all it said. It seemed a little strange and maybe a little cryptic, but considering our clipped conversation this morning, I didn't think too much of it. I read it again, then followed her instructions and called Detective Frost. The phone rang once before he picked up, sounding a little breathless and flustered.

"Hi Detective Frost, it's Maura."

There was a pregnant pause before Frost responded.

"Maura, its Hoyt. He has Jane."

**A/N - Sorry for the cliffhanger. Just a few things...I have been on a posting rampage since I have been off work for the past few days. Don't expect me to keep posting this often :) Also, just a reminder that this is considered an A/U story, so I will be taking some creative liberties with the plot, so don't be surprised when things don't go exactly as you remember them (for those of you who avidly follow the show). Thanks again for reading and I will post the next chapter ASAP so I don't keep you beautiful people hanging.**


	8. Chapter 8

**A/N - So...lucky for you since I have the next few chapters written, I was able to edit this and post it sooner than I thought. I didn't want to keep you all hanging. Enjoy.**

* * *

Chap. 8

The drive from the airport to headquarters seemed to take an eternity. A thousand different scenarios all involving Jane's untimely death flashed through my mind during the twenty-minute drive. By the time I arrived in the bullpen I had worked myself into what could only be considered a frenzy. Every detective must have been called in to help with this case as the bullpen was humming with activity. I threw my handbag down unceremoniously on Jane's empty desk and looked at Frost then Korsak, who was pacing around the bullpen with his phone glued to his ear.

"Tell me what is going on!" I said fiercely.

Frost rubbed a hand over his face in frustration and began to tell me what they knew so far.

"We don't know too many details yet, but we know that somehow Hoyt, and we assume his apprentice, abducted Jane about an hour ago. Jane must have her phone on her, because she texted me a little while ago. I tried to call her multiple times and she didn't respond, and that's how we knew he had her." Frost held his phone out so I could read Jane's message.

_It's Hoyt. Apprentice=Army. Help. – J_

I shivered when I read the message. How Jane had managed have the wherewithal to text Frost and I while she was being captured by an extremely dangerous serial killer blew my mind. Everyone who knew Jane, knew that she was a fighter, and that this wasn't over until it was over. I fiercely hoped this would be over soon, and that we could find Jane and she would be unharmed. Turning to Frost I asked: "So what do we do now?"

"Well, Korsak is on the phone with Agent Dean trying to get more information. We think the link between Hoyt and his apprentice is an Army medical training school. Dean is running some background checks on a few suspects and we are hoping to ID the guy."

Feeling more frantic by the second I sat down on the edge of Jane's desk. "Frost, there has to be something more that we can do. Can we use GPS trace the texts that Jane sent to us?" I was grasping at straws at this point. I was used to building a case based on the evidence at crime scenes and what the victim's injuries told me never failed. I felt so useless in this situation, trying to piece together where Jane was with so little evidence.

"That's a good thought Maura, but we already did that. She must have texted us right as she was abducted because the signals came from right outside her apartment. We sent some guys over to check the area near her house as well as her apartment, and we couldn't find any trace of her. If only she had texted us later on we may have been able to follow a trail of locations…those bastards must have confiscated her phone after realizing she had been texting us."

Korsak hung up his phone and walked back over to us. "So we found the apprentice. He was in Hoyt's class at Ft. Benning, and we think Hoyt trained him."

"Detective Korsak, while I am glad we know who the apprentice is, we still have no idea where Jane is! We _need_ to do something! The longer we wait she could be bleeding out somewhere –" My voice was getting louder that this point, and the frustration and panic were starting to get the better of me.

"Maura, you have to trust us…we are doing everything we can – "

The sound of my phone ringing cut him off and I jumped as the noise took me by surprise. I looked down to see who was calling as I certainly didn't have time to be taking random calls when my best friend was missing and at the mercy of a dangerous serial killer.

My heart caught in my throat as I read the caller ID: _Jane_.

I snatched up the phone, nearly dropping it in the process, and pressed the "accept" button. My heart threatened to beat out of my chest as I fought to remain calm while I answered: "Jane? Jane, honey…is that you?"

Her voice sounded low and gravelly as she responded simply – "Maur. It's me. It's over. Come and get me."

Her words didn't even register with me at that point. I was just thankful to hear her voice and know that she was alive. My legs suddenly didn't seem capable of supporting me and I slid to the ground unceremoniously.

"Jane, honey, where are you? We are on our way."

* * *

After Frost managed to track her phone's signal, we hopped in a police cruiser and headed towards a rock quarry on the outskirts of the city. We had alerted the paramedics to her location, and I was pleased to see they had arrived before we did. We weren't sure what to expect as far as her injuries went, so before Korsak could even put the cruiser in park, I had jumped out of the car and ran to the back of the ambulance.

Jane was perched on the tailgate of the ambulance, grimacing as a paramedic sprayed some liquid antiseptic on what looked to be a pretty nasty second-degree burn on her chest. When she heard my shoes crunching in the gravel she looked up. Her eyes were glassed over a bit, and there was a wild look to them, making them look almost black. Besides the large burn to her chest, she didn't look like she was seriously injured, and despite her obvious exhaustion she was able to flash a tired grin in my direction as I approached. After flashing my Medical Examiner's ID badge at the paramedic, I assured him I was a doctor and could take over from here. Snapping on a pair of latex gloves I began to bandage up the large burned area on her chest.

Neither of us spoke for a few minutes while I finished applying the bandages. When I was done, I motioned for her to scoot over on the tailgate and I sat down next to her. I fidgeted with my hands for a few seconds before taking a deep breath.

"Jane, we don't have to talk about what happened tonight. There will be time for that later. I just wanted to apologize for leaving you this morning. I should have stayed-"I tried to choke back the sobs that were so close to escaping. My emotions were betraying me and tears were threatening to fall as well.

She looked up at me solemnly. "Maura, I'm the one who should be apologizing. You were only trying to help solve the case by going to Quantico, and I was just too stubborn to realize it. I shouldn't have gone off by myself…I knew the situation, and I sure as hell knew better." She picked up my hand and held it tightly in hers. "I'm _so_ sorry Maura."

I clutched her hand as if it were my lifeline. The stress of the day was definitely starting to catch up with me and I couldn't do anything to stop it. "Jane, I was so…scared. I am so glad you are okay. I…I couldn't stop picturing scenarios where you ended up dead!" A sob managed to escape, and since I didn't know what else to say in that moment, I just held on to her hand as tightly as I could and let the tears fall.

Jane seemed to sense my contentment to just sit there and hold her hand, because that is precisely what we did for a few minutes. When Jane sensed I had calmed down some, she slid down off the tailgate and motioned for me to get down as well. As soon as my feet hit the ground she pulled me in to a fierce embrace.

"Jane, your burns!" I gasped.

"Shhhh Maur. I'm fine. They hurt, but this is worth it."

We stayed like that for a few more minutes and one of Jane's hands rubbed my back softly while the other found it's way to the back of my neck underneath my hair. I was able to calm down, and reluctantly pulled back a bit to look at Jane. Her eyes were closed tightly as if she was trying to forget about all that had happened. I closed my eyes too and, carefully avoiding her burns, nestled my face in the side of her neck. I could feel her head tip down a bit to look at me and she cleared her throat.

"Hey Maur…let's go home."

That simple phrase never sounded better. We pulled away from each other and made our way to the police cruiser, still holding hands. As we pulled away from the scene in the backseat of the police cruiser, I looked down to see our hands still linked together, and couldn't help but think that after the day's events, how lucky I was to still have a best friend. I had almost lost her. That terrified me.


	9. Chapter 9

Chap. 9

We arrived back at the precinct and it was no surprise when Lieutenant Cavanaugh immediately ordered Jane to take the rest of the week and weekend off to recuperate. Jane didn't normally take much time off, so when he ordered her to take four days off in a row, I was worried she would fight him on it. To my surprise she told him it was a good idea. Clearly it had been quite the ordeal for Jane, if she was admitting that she needed some time off to process what had happened. She told Cavanaugh she would see him Monday and then proceeded to her desk to grab some case files in the event she got bored over the weekend. After she had left Cavanaugh's office, I asked him if I could take a few personal days. Cavanaugh approved my request, and I suggested that Dr. Pike be called in to cover for me while I was out. Dr. Pike was an incompetent idiot, but someone had to be on call for the next few days, and it wasn't going to be me.

It was getting late, and it had been an extraordinarily long day, so I was more than ready to head home to the comfort of my bed. But I was still worried about Jane. I couldn't just leave her to go home by herself, especially when she had been abducted from there just hours earlier. I followed Jane to her desk and stood there while she gathered her things. Her movements stilled for a moment, then we both spoke at the same time.

"Jane, I think you should come stay with me for the next few days."

"Maura, is it okay if I crash at your place for a while?"

We laughed a little, but I could see her relief when she knew that she was welcome to spend the next few days at my house.

"Jane, you are more than welcome, as usual. It will be good for you to just take some time and relax and process what happened tonight."

"Thanks Maura. I just…don't want to be alone tonight, and I really don't want Ma hovering either. Honestly, I can't take that right now…" she said quietly.

"I get it Jane. You can spend however long you want to at my house. You know the guest room is yours. Maybe tomorrow we can watch a movie and just keep things casual." I suggested.

"Yeah, that sounds good. Wait…casual as in 'Maura-casual' or as in 'Jane-casual?'"- she started – "Because last time we did movie night I was bored to tears after, like, five seconds."

I smacked her lightly on the arm. "Very funny Jane, but that documentary has won numerous awards and I personally found it very informative and educational. But, as much as I hate to think of what god-awful Will Ferrell movies you will force me to watch, you can decide. This weekend is about you."

Instantly, I regretting saying that, as Jane's eyes lit up, excited at the prospect of being in charge of our entertainment for once. I could almost see the wheels turning in her head, as she was no doubt trying to decide on what horrors to subject me to. She smiled and turned to me.

"Sounds like a plan Maura. Let's get outta here. I am ready to hit the sack."

* * *

We ended up taking a cab home, and arrived at my house a little after midnight. I wanted nothing more than to know what had happened to Jane, but as soon as we entered the house I was overcome with exhaustion. We kicked off our shoes as we walked across the kitchen, and then I moved towards the fridge to grab a bottle of water. Jane stood there awkwardly for a few minutes as I drank a few sips of water, and rubbed absentmindedly at the scars on her hands.

"Jane, do you need anything before I head up to bed?" I asked.

She seemed to think for a moment, as a look of indecision came over her. She sighed, then turned and headed towards the guestroom.

"No, I'm good" she said over her shoulder. "Night Maur."

"Goodnight Jane." I replied, and made my way up the stairs to the master suite. I peeled off my jacket and went to hang it up in my walk-in closet, then moved into my bathroom to wash up a bit before bed. I gasped as I caught my reflection in the large mirror as I entered the bathroom.

My blonde hair could only be described as a complete mess, lying disheveled and limp down my back. I had dark circles under my eyes, and mascara had trailed down my cheeks with my tears, leaving behind dark smudges. My chest had dark smudges as well, from what looked like ash. That was probably transferred off of Jane's clothes when we had hugged. I looked like a complete mess. Sighing deeply, I began to strip off my clothes and turned on the shower. There was no way I was going to get my sheets dirty, and the warm water would help me relax before bed. When steam started pouring out of the shower, I stepped in and let the hot water wash away the stress and mess of the past few days.

When I had finally managed to finish showering, a difficult task in my half-asleep state, I shut off the water and stepped out to dry myself. I slipped on my favorite pair of silk pajamas, then drew back the covers on my bed and slipped between the sheets. I almost moaned in delight at the welcome comfort of my bed and the soft coolness of the sheets. Squirming around for a few seconds to get comfortable, I reached up and turned off the light, and finally shut my eyes.

Sleep had almost claimed me when I heard soft footsteps on the floor outside my bedroom. There was a quiet knock on my door, and then the door opened with a small creak. In the darkness, I could make out Jane's tall silhouette, her hair a wild mess. Her voice was low as she softly called out- "Maur?"

"I'm here Jane"- I answered.

"I can't sleep. I can't make my brain turn off…I keep replaying everything and I can't help it." Her voice sounded strained, like she was trying to hold back tears.

"Jane, honey, come here. You can sleep with me tonight." I patted the bed next to me, even though she probably couldn't see it in the dark.

Her footsteps moved closer and she moved to stand by the other side of the bed, but didn't move to get in the bed. Now that she was closer, I could see that she was clad only in her tank top and underwear. Scooting over a bit, I lifted up the covers in invitation. She sat down lightly on the edge of the bed and then lifted her legs up and into the bed, and rolled towards me. I felt the bed moving as she made herself comfortable, and then lowered the covers gently around her.

As we settled in face-to-face, she was close enough so I could see that she had, in fact, been crying. The small amount of moonlight coming in from the window gleamed in the wetness on her cheeks. I suddenly had a strange urge to kiss the tear stains on her cheeks, but then quickly decided that best friends don't do that, and moved to lightly brush them away with my fingertips. Jane's eyes fluttered open for a moment and fixed on mine. She slipped her hand out from underneath the covers and placed her hand over mine to cup her cheek. Gently taking my hand, she kissed it softly and moved it to rest on the bed, with hers on top, lightly clasping mine. Her eyes shut once again and I could feel her breaths becoming deeper and longer after a few minutes.

Just when I thought she had drifted off to sleep, I heard her quiet whisper:

"Thanks for everything."

I fell asleep shortly after, my smaller hand still resting in Jane's larger one. It felt safe.

* * *

I awoke to the soft pitter-patter of rain on the roof, and dull, grey light coming in through the window. Yawning, I moved to stretch a bit and roll onto my back, and realized my hand was still held captive by Jane's scarred one. I shut my eyes to try and sleep for a little while longer when the scarred hand squeezed mine lightly, taking my a little by surprise. I opened my eyes to find a pair of deep brown eyes blinking sleepily at me. Jane finally let go of my hand and moved to rub the sleep from her eyes.

Her voice was rough and deep as she spoke: "Morning Maur. What time is it?"

I rolled over slightly to get a look at the clock on my bedside table. 11:29am.

"Well, we must have been tired, it's almost noon Jane!" I couldn't remember the last time I had slept in past 8am, let alone gotten over eight hours of sleep since taking the job as Chief Medical Examiner.

Jane's eyes opened wide. "Holy shit Maura, you are SO late for work! Cavanaugh is gonna kill you!"

Chuckling lightly, I waved a hand in dismissal. "It's fine Jane. I took some personal days. I'm not even on call today…Dr. Pike is covering."

Jane was visibly relieved and she shifted so she was lying on her back and brought her hands up to rest under her head. She sat there for a minute, then looked back at me, a sly smile spreading across her face.

"So...Dr. Maura 'I-never-take-time-off' Isles took some personal days off to hang out with me? Is this your way of telling me you are attracted to me?" She wiggled her eyebrows suggestively at me.

I couldn't help but laugh at her. I was glad to see her relaxed and joking around after the stressful night she had. My eyes moved down to rest on the large bandage peeking out of the top of her tank top. I had almost forgotten about her injury from last night.

"Very funny Jane. How about you let me take a look at your burn, then we make some brunch and spend the rest of the day lazing about?"

Jane threw the covers off of her, and tossed her pillow so it landed directly on my face. Howling loudly in mock pain, I yanked it off and threw it back at her. Unfortunately, my poor aim caused the pillow to hit a lamp resting on the bedside table, knocking it off and onto the floor with a loud crash.

Jane couldn't contain her mirth and loud peals of laughter echoed through the room. She got out of the bed and stood for a moment, stretching out her long limbs idly.

"Brunch and being lazy sounds like just what the Doctor ordered. I'll get the medical kit and let you check me out, as long as you promise I get to pick the movies…" She grinned in my direction. She then seemed to realize that she was standing in front of me in essentially her underwear and blushed a bit. "But…let me put some clothes on first though. Meet you downstairs in five?"

"Sounds perfect Jane."

She turned and headed out of my room and down the hallway. I could hear her on the stairs when her voice called out.

"And Maura…really? Dr. Pike? That guy can't tell his own asshole from his elbow!"

Laughing at how true that statement was, I finally got out of bed and moved toward the bathroom to wash up.


	10. Chapter 10

Chap. 10

True to our word, besides running over to Jane's apartment to grab a few things, we spent all of Thursday lounging about watching movies. We kept things lighthearted and carefree, and it felt great to take some time and just not have to think about what had happened with Hoyt. Knowing Jane, I knew that she would want to talk about it at some point, but now didn't seem like the time.

We had managed to make it through all three Indiana Jones movies throughout the course of the day. I was pleasantly surprised to find that I had enjoyed them. Even though they were not very realistic, they were entertaining. As the credits rolled for the final movie, I took stock of the disaster that was my living room. Jane had managed to down a six-pack of her favorite beer in the course of the afternoon and evening, so there were beer bottles lined up on the coffee table. My glass of wine was lying, forgotten, next to the line-up of bottles. Our two half-empty pizza boxes were haphazardly thrown on the floor on front of the couch, next to a collection of discarded throw pillows from the couch.

I moved from my position on the couch to try and clean up the disaster zone a bit. Being friends with Jane had forced me to be able to handle clutter-her apartment constantly looked like a bomb went off- so I was accustomed to straightening up after "Hurricane Jane" passes through. Jane yawned loudly and stretched her long frame out to its full length on the couch.

"Well, I would say that 'Mission: Watch movies all day' was a smashing success… huh Dr. Isles?" Jane said lazily from her position on the couch.

"Yes, I would concur, Detective Rizzoli." I had grabbed the recycling bin and was tossing the beer bottles in, each landing with a satisfying _clink_.

Jane sat up and threw the fleece blanket off, and began to pick up the discarded pizza boxes. "So…we still have three whole days off, what's on the agenda Maura? Oh, I told my Ma we would do Rizzoli Sunday here to get her off my back after this whole Hoyt thing…hopefully that's okay. But that still leaves us all day tomorrow and Saturday right?"

Although I knew that Jane would need these days off to process things in her own way, I also knew my friend well enough to know that she would likely be stir-crazy after a day or two. It sounded like that was the case if Jane was looking for ideas for the next couple of days. I thought for a few minutes while I finished straightening up the room, then moved back to sit on the couch and curled my legs up under me. Jane was sitting on the other end, idly twisting a strand of her dark hair around her index finger.

"Rizzoli Sunday sounds good Jane. I don't mind hosting it here either. The weather is supposed to be nice tomorrow, so maybe we can walk around the waterfront for a bit or even head to the beach. It's too cold to swim, but we can take a nice walk along the shore or something…" I suggested.

She mulled the idea over for a moment before nodding slowly.

"Yeah, the beach sounds nice. With fall coming soon, there won't be too many nice days for that anyways. Let's take advantage while we can. How about Revere beach? Ma used to take us there all the time when we were kids."- She laughed out loud for a moment before continuing- "One time Frankie and me buried Tommy up to his neck in the sand, and then he couldn't get out. Then we sat in front of him eating ice cream sandwiches to piss him off." Her face lit up at the memory. "It was fun until Frankie ate one too many and puked…"

I laughed too. I could almost picture a young Jane tormenting her younger brother with a cheeky Rizzoli smile plastered on her face. In some ways, I wished I had known her when we were younger, even though I don't think we would have been friends. Mostly because I didn't _have_ any friends when I was younger…

We sat there for a minute before Jane came out of her memories and posed another question abruptly.

"Hey Maur, how come you never go on dates? In the whole time we have known each other, you haven't dated anyone."

I could feel her gaze on my face. I chewed the inside of my cheek while thinking about her question. Had it really been that long since I had been on a date? Clearing my throat nervously, I struggled to come up with an answer.

"Well, you know my track record with men Jane. It turns out they _don't _appreciate being diagnosed with various conditions while on a date"- we both chuckled lightly because we knew it was true. I paused for a minute before continuing – "Honestly Jane, I could tell you it is because I work too much, but I don't think that is it either. I mean, I spend an awful lot of time with you, which I immensely enjoy, so really it doesn't leave me with a lot of time for dating" I finished unconvincingly.

Jane shifted so her legs were now resting on the coffee table. She looked as though she wasn't convinced by my answer. I leaned towards her and smacked her lightly on her shoulder. "Besides Jane, I don't see _you_ actively trying to date either…" I said jokingly, a slight accusatory tone in my voice.

"God Maura, you sound like Ma." She said irritably. "But," – she continued more seriously –"you're right. It's just hard to find someone who _gets_ me and understands my job. In the past, I have been burned because whoever I was dating didn't understand the level of commitment it takes to be a detective. I mean, if you aren't 200-percent invested, people are gonna get hurt out there, or bad guys are gonna get away, you know?"

I nodded in response. That was my favorite thing about Jane – her unwavering and unbridled passion for her job as a detective. She was so skilled at what she did, her intelligence and intensity evident as she interrogated suspects or posed scenarios to try and break a case. Her impressive athletic build allowed her to chase after dangerous suspects, where the average person would run in the opposite direction for fear of injury. She was a woman possessed when it came to her job, and that was a quality I found extremely attractive. I both admired and respected Jane in that sense.

"I get it Jane. There have been men in the past that have shied away from me because of my career too. No one wants to date the woman that spends the majority of her time with dead bodies" I said.

"Do you think we will ever have it all Maura?" Jane blurted out. "You know…as cliché as it sounds, I wanna have the whole family thing. Nice house, nice car, a couple rugrats running around, and a spouse that loves and supports me. I'm at the point in my life where I can actually _picture_ it…you know?" Jane's raw and honest admission stunned me briefly.

If you had asked me ten years ago, I would have never pictured that for my life, but hearing Jane lay out her dreams so plainly made me realize I was looking for exactly that – I wanted to have it all. Even though I absolutely loved my career as a Medical Examiner, which allowed me to engross myself in scientific inquiry, lately I had a nagging feeling that something had been missing in my life. Until now, I assumed it was a relationship, but it was more than that. I was looking for a _meaningful_ relationship, something that would lead to the future that I was now picturing. Sure, sexual relationships had served me well in the past, helping to satisfy my natural biological needs as a sexually mature woman, but as Jane had pointed out, there was more to a relationship then sex. A truly healthy relationship was one built on respect and love, and true commitment to making the relationship work. That is where the majority of my relationships had failed. They had been relationships based on physical attraction and false pretenses. I had dated my fair share of men who only wanted to go out with me because there was an MD after my name.

Jane shifted again on the couch and her movement brought me out of my thoughts.

"Yes, Jane, I want that too. I want it all." I admitted.

Out of the corner of my eye, I thought I could see a small smile appear on Jane's face, but it disappeared as quickly as it had appeared. She reached over to the coffee table and grabbed the remote and shut off the entertainment system. Her hands moved into the air to stretch out her arms for a few seconds, and then she stood and cracked her back before holding out a hand towards me.

"What do you say we head to bed? It's late." She said, a yawn escaping as she finished speaking.

I removed the blanket from my lap and reached out to take a hold of her hand. We walked in silence up to my bedroom to get ready for bed. After finishing our nightly routines we slipped between the sheets of my bed to settle in for the night. I could smell Jane's toothpaste as she let out another yawn. She shut off the lights and we quickly were whisked away into a peaceful night's sleep.

I dreamed of two dark-haired children with unruly curls laughing and playing in the park. Their deep brown eyes lit up with laughter as a long, lean woman –without a face, but still vaguely familiar – chased them through the field.


	11. Chapter 11

Chap. 11

The next day dawned bright and sunny, and we were awoken to sunlight streaming through the window. I was basking in the aftereffects of my pleasant dreams and was ready to start the day. Jane groaned loudly as she opened her eyes before quickly shutting them after only a few seconds. She must have had a restless night, as I had been awakened a few times by her tossing fitfully next to me. Rolling over to face me, she opened one eye and focused on me.

"Morning." -came her curt greeting.

"Morning Jane. How did you sleep?" I asked cautiously, even though I already knew the answer.

"Yeahhhh, not the best night's sleep, that's for sure." She responded. "I might need a nap on the beach later."

"Well Jane, it looks like it is absolutely gorgeous out. I think a nap on the beach can be arranged. If you want to hop in the shower I can pack us a picnic lunch, and then we will head out."

"A shower sounds good. Maybe it will help me wake up. Give me twenty minutes and I will be ready to go." Jane moved to get out of the bed.

"Take your time Jane, there is no rush."

* * *

The sunshine and unseasonably warm temperatures made it the perfect day for the beach. We arrived at Revere Beach late in the morning, and set up our things in the warm sand. Jane shook out a large blanket and spread it across the sand and after removing her shoes and sweatshirt, flopped down with a loud grunt. She lay there with her ankles crossed and her hands clasped behind her head, looking like she didn't have a care in the world.

I stood there for a moment, my eyes transfixed on the woman spread out before me on the blanket. My eyes wandered to her long legs-clad in a pair of her favorite running shorts- tanned and toned from the long runs that Jane took nearly every morning. Her feet were well-manicured, with a surprisingly girly bright-purple nail polish on each toenail. Moving higher, my eyes stopped for a moment to appreciate the lean muscle of her torso, and the small strip of tanned skin that was visible as her tank top rode up slightly. Going higher still, my eyes passed her small, but still feminine breasts-lingering for a moment-and moved to appreciate the defined muscles of her upper arms and shoulders. Moving inward, my eyes raked over the beautiful curve of her clavicle, then upwards once again, and I unconsciously licked my lips as I scanned her long and elegant neck. I faltered for a bit when my eyes got a glimpse of the angry red burn on her upper chest, but I quickly resumed my thorough investigation of Jane. Finally, my eyes arrived on her face. Her eyes were shut tightly, but as I scanned over her strong and feminine bone structure, I was struck with how absolutely gorgeous Jane was. It made me actually _ache_ when I realized how beautiful she was.

Jane's voice snapped me out of my reverie. Her eyes snapped open and she held up a hand to shade her eyes from the sunlight.

"Hey Maur, you are standing in my light. Take a seat or move."

I did as I was told, and sat down on the blanket next to Jane. After rolling up my jeans to expose my lower legs a bit in case we wandered down closer to the water, I grabbed a book out of my bag and pretended to read. My mind was working overtime as I struggled to process the thoughts racing through my mind after I had ogled my best friend.

I always considered myself to be open and fluid when it came to my sexuality. Sexuality was a complex thing, linked closely with our biological and hormonal responses. But emotions and feelings also play an integral role when it comes to sexuality. I had heard the phrase "listen to your heart" before in relation to love, but that saying truly baffled me, as the heart is simply a muscle responsible for pumping blood through the body. While I had only been sexually intimate with men before, I had always appreciated the beauty of the female form, and to be honest, was never opposed to trying a same-sex relationship. I understood the interplay between the factors that determined sexuality, and knew that attraction and arousal could be measured scientifically, as many studies had done so in the past.

Logically, if you were to look at my dating history, the data would suggest my preference for heterosexual relationships. One could even use the data to hypothesize my future mate would likely be male. But in that moment, I wanted to defy all logic. Realization upon realization began to dawn on me, and I was suddenly struck with another logical conclusion. Jane was an ideal mate.

We had been friends for nearly a year, and she knew me better than anyone else. She was selfless, loving, passionate, and intense. Her family and friends meant the world to her, even though she would never admit it out loud. She was fiercely loyal, brutally honest at times, and also emotionally vulnerable and tender when situations called for it. There was a tough case a few weeks ago where a six-year-old girl had been abducted after her parents had been killed in their home. When our team had found the little girl, Jane had cradled the girl on her lap for hours at the precinct while we waited for her aunt to pick her up, tenderly stroking and playing with the girl's blonde ringlets. Jane wouldn't let anyone else take her, instead wrapping her arms protectively around the small child, whispering- "It's all right baby, you're safe now."

Before I could wrap my mind around the epiphany I had just had, Jane's voice cut through the silence again.

"Maura, you wanna take a walk down the beach a ways?" Her head turned to the side and she looked at me in anticipation.

Grateful for the distraction, I nodded and we both got to our feet and walked down towards the water's edge before turning to walk parallel to the water. The sand was wet and cold on my bare feet as we walked at a leisurely pace.

I could hear Jane take a deep breath beside me, pausing for a minute before she spoke. "I had nightmares last night. About Hoyt."

"Nightmares are a common occurrence after a significant trauma Jane, it happens. Do you want to talk about what happened?" I cast a sideways glance at her to gauge her reaction.

She opened her mouth to respond, and shut it again. She chewed on her lower lip for a moment then started to tell me about what had happened.

"After I left your apartment that morning I went for a run to clear my head. I must have been really upset because before I knew it, I had run all the way to Newton." -she admitted sheepishly.

"Jane! That's like, ten miles!" I was shocked by her admission.

"I know Maura, it just kinda…happened. Anyways, I realized I didn't have money for a cab back so I sucked it up and decided to hoof it back to my apartment. It took me a few hours, but I made it back by mid-afternoon. Obviously I was gassed from all the walking and running, so I passed out on the couch when I got back into the apartment. I fell asleep right away, and the next thing I knew, the apprentice was pressing a stun gun into my neck and that son-of-a-bitch Hoyt was leering at me from across the room. "

She paused for a moment and brought her hand up to rub her eyes. I shivered at the thought of her alone in her apartment with two serial killers. When her hand came back down to rest at her side, I instinctively grabbed it, giving it a reassuring squeeze. That must have spurred her on, as she continued with her story.

"I think they stunned me, because I woke up in the back of a van. My hands and feet were bound with duct tape. The van wasn't moving, but must have been parked in that quarry at that point. Hoyt was there, and the look in his eyes was fucking terrifying Maura. He said something about this being 'our final game' and he was holding a scalpel. I tried to think of some way out of the situation, but I was so… _helpless_ in that moment. And scared shitless."

Jane stopped abruptly and gripped my hand tighter as my momentum carried me past her a few steps. I turned back around to look her in the eyes. Tears had started to slide down her cheeks and I couldn't place the emotion displayed on her face. It looked like desperation. She grabbed my other hand, and we were now standing face-to-face at the water's edge as the breeze whipped through our hair.

"Maura, I was _so_ scared, but in that moment, all I could think about was what I hadn't done. Places I hadn't visited…things I hadn't seen….and p-people who I hadn't told I love…" -her voice cracked as she finished speaking. She paused to let her confession sink in, her eyes locked on mine, wide with emotion. Tears rolled, unchecked, down her face and her sobs seemed to grow louder by the second.

Instinctively, I pulled Jane in for fierce hug. There was so much that she had left unsaid, but I knew exactly what she was trying to say. Her hands reached out to wrap around my waist and her head dipped down to burrow in the crook of my neck. I could feel the warm moisture from her tears rolling down my skin. My hands slid from her lower back and found their way into her hair, which was impossibly soft, even though it was tangled from the wind. I smoothed down some of the wayward curls and then moved to stroke the back of her neck.

Several minutes passed before Jane pulled her face away from my chest without warning. She brought her hands up to cup my cheeks, and her thumbs rubbed lightly along my zygomatic arches. I shivered as goosebumps began to appear on my skin at such an intimate gesture. She bent her knees slightly and lowered herself to look right into my eyes. Her eyes were full of unshed tears and raw emotion. Those brown eyes flicked down quickly toward my lips, then back up to hold my gaze once more.

As if it was the most natural thing in the world, I moved forward to close the small amount of space between us, and pressed my lips to hers. Her lips were chapped and I could taste saltiness from her tears. Time seemed to slow down in that moment, and before I could process what was happening, Jane began to kiss me back.

* * *

**A/N - Thanks again to all of you who have been reading this! I hope you are enjoying it so far. Just FYI, I may get another chapter posted by the end of the weekend, but if not, definitely at some point over the next few days. After that, there will likely be a lapse in updates since I will be on vacation. For those of you who are curious where this is going, as I have it planned out, we are a little over halfway through...my goal is 20 chapters or so. As always, comments and constructive criticism are welcome.**


	12. Chapter 12

Chap. 12

Our kiss could only be classified as intense. It wasn't a particularly romantic kiss- really, how romantic can a kiss be when the other person is sobbing uncontrollably- but it was full of pent-up emotions and unspoken words. Jane's lips moved skillfully in synch with mine and after a few seconds, my heart felt like it was going to beat right out of my chest. Jane's hands had slid from my cheeks up into my hair, resting there for a few seconds before I felt a loss of contact on my lips. I could feel her breath, hot on my cheeks as she exhaled slowly. I tried to slow my breathing down and to calm the erratic thumping in my chest. I was briefly successful after a handful of deep cleansing breaths and then Jane finally spoke, her voice barely louder than a whisper.

"Maura…I love you. God…I-I've wanted to say that for months." Her words hung heavy in the space between us.

My heart began to race once more when my brain registered what Jane had just confessed. Panic began to set in and my tongue seemed to be unable to form words. My brain was in overdrive as I searched for an appropriate response, one worthy of the pivotal confession Jane had just thrown out. It wasn't so much the confession that had struck a nerve with me. It was the fact that I was absolutely at a loss for how to respond.

I couldn't say 'I love you' back, because, well, I wasn't sure I felt that way for Jane. Not yet anyways. I was still wrapping my head around my realization that Jane had many characteristics of my ideal mate. There simply wasn't enough, well, _evidence_ to support that I loved her. All I knew is that she was my best friend, and while my epiphany earlier weighed heavy on my mind, I wasn't willing to definitively admit my feelings of attraction to her. I struggled to make sense of all that was happening, and a sinking feeling began to creep into my stomach, as I realized I should never have initiated that kiss.

The longer I waited to respond the worse it looked. Jane stood there before me, her dark eyes intensely searching my face for some response…_any _response. She reached up to wipe away her tears with the back of her hand. We were still in a loose embrace, and my hands moved from their position on her neck and fell limply at my sides. My tongue finally seemed to loosen and I was able to utter a response.

"Oh."

Damn. Not anything close to the eloquent response I was hoping for. I wanted to kick myself.

Jane took a few steps back and I could see her head drop and her shoulders slump. She wrapped her arms around herself protectively before bringing her face up again. I could see the tension in her jaw, which was clenched. She raised a hand to brush away an errant curl that had blown over her face.

"Well"-she said slowly –"That wasn't quite the response I had dreamed about…"

"S-sorry Jane. You took me by surprise is all." That much at least was true. "Honestly Jane, I don't really know what to say." I was fumbling, and I could see Jane quickly becoming frustrated.

"_I _surprised _you_?" The incredulous look on Jane's face made me want to run away in shame. "_You _kissed _me_! And then it took you like, five freaking minutes to respond with 'Oh.' Really Maura?"

Things were going downhill, and fast.

Jane continued, her arms gesticulating wildly to emphasize her words, her Italian blood evident in her passionate motions. "Maura, I have loved you for months now. I _had _to tell you. After Hoyt, I couldn't keep ignoring it. God…I don't know what I was expecting, but that kiss felt like something more than just 'Oh.' And I think you felt it too, but are too chickenshit to admit it."

She turned to walk down the beach back towards our belongings. Waves of nausea began wreaking havoc on my stomach and I struggled to keep it under control. Even though I had no idea how to fix this, it couldn't end this way. I moved to quickly follow her back to the blanket and had to run to keep up with her long legs, which was easier said than done in the loose sand.

Jane reached the blanket and began angrily shoving things into a tote bag. She pulled her sweatshirt on over her head, sat down on the blanket to put her shoes on, then yanked the blanket off the ground and shook it out. Grabbing the keys out of my purse, she moved towards the car to start packing our belongings in the trunk.

"Jane, wait!"

"I've waited long enough Maura." – came her acidic reply, heavy with multiple meanings.

That took the proverbial wind out of my sails, but I knew I had to try and explain myself to Jane. "I mean it Jane…hold on, let me explain!" I reached out to grab at her hand, but she pulled it away. She didn't move to continue packing our things, but instead turned to face me with her jaw set in anger.

"I'm sorry Jane. I shouldn't have kissed you. I don't know what I was thinking. This is all quite perplexing to me. It's not _logical_. I like men…and I thought you liked men too…But then we kissed, and now everything seems so complicated…" –I trailed off, shutting my mouth, knowing that I was on the verge of beginning to ramble.

My "explanation" had obviously done nothing to appease Jane as she moved to finish packing up the car in silence. She tossed the keys at me and said "Take me home Maura."

Wordlessly, I grabbed my purse and shoes and moved to get into the driver's seat. Jane got into the passenger's side and slammed her door rather loudly. Putting the keys into the ignition, I turned to look at Jane. Her face was a stony mask of indifference, and her arms were crossed tightly in front of her. I had really made a mess of all of this. Sighing, I turned the key in the ignition, and put the car into gear.

We had driven the entire way back in silence, and it wasn't until we had pulled up in front of Jane's apartment that she spoke again.

"Maura, I just have one question for you…and don't you dare lie to me" – her eyes flashed passionately – "are you at least attracted to me?"

I put the car in park and turned to look her directly in the eye. There was no point in denying the obvious.

"Yes."

Her face softened a little at my response.

"Well then Maura, I have some news for you. Not everything in life can be explained scientifically, and often life turns out to be the farthest thing from logical. All I know is that I love you. When I realized that I had these feelings for you, I was confused too. I had never felt this way about anyone before, man or woman. The more I tried to rationalize it, the more confused I got. Finally, I decided to just go with it…it just makes sense to me Maura. And to think that I almost died before I got to tell you…" –she shook her head as if trying to prevent herself from flashing back to a couple nights ago- "If you had flat-out rejected me today, I would have sucked it up and cut my losses. But you didn't…you kissed me, and admitted you feel something too. You can take all the time you need Maura. But know that logic won't help you in matters of the heart."

And with that, Jane grasped the door handle and let herself out of the car. She opened the trunk to grab her tote bag and shut it again. Walking back up to the passenger's side door, she leaned into the window, looking at me solemnly.

"Think it over Maur. I'll be here, whatever you decide."

I watched her move up the stairs to open the front door of her building. She turned her head to look over her shoulder one last time before disappearing from view as the door shut behind her. Slumping down in my seat, I brought my hands up to cover my face and began to cry.

* * *

**A/N - Sorry...this chapter is a little shorter and a little angsty. I should be able to post another chapter in the next few days before my trip, as long as work isn't too crazy. Thanks for reading! It's incredibly encouraging to know that this is getting a positive response so far. **


	13. Chapter 13

Chap. 13

After crying in my car for approximately twenty minutes while parked outside Jane's apartment, I managed to drive back to my house, blinking back tears the entire time. The day had started out with so much promise, and here I was, betrayed by the connection between my amygdala and lacrimal gland, and my brain struggling to process what had happened. I pulled into my garage and put the car in park, before slumping in my seat again. Taking a deep breath, I brushed the tears away and moved to get out of the car.

I didn't even bother to get my things out of the car, but instead moved straight into my house and collapsed face-first onto the couch. I was too overwhelmed to do anything at that point, so I lay there for some time, trying to calm down and compose myself. I replayed the kiss over and over in my mind, along with the conversation that had followed, trying to make sense of it.

I eventually rolled over onto my back on the couch, and then in a stroke of genius, decided to take a nice hot bath in order to relax and to mull things over. On my way up to my bathroom, I stopped to pour myself a glass of my favorite red wine. Once in the bathroom, I turned on the water and let the large Jacuzzi tub fill up, also adding my favorite scented bath oil to aid in my relaxation. Then, I stripped off my clothes, placed my wine glass within arm's reach, and slowly lowered myself into the steaming hot water.

A loud sigh escaped my body as I slid down into the water. Moving around a bit, I finally settled in a comfortable spot, and leaned my head back to rest against the rim of the bathtub. Closing my eyes and lying still, I let the jets and the warm water caress my body and ease some of the tension for a while. The scented bath oil provided a lovely floral fragrance that soothed my senses, and provided a familiar comfort. I took a deep breath and exhaled slowly, before it dawned on me that I was smelling lavender. Jane smelled like lavender.

Jane. The reason for all my confusion.

There seemed to be one thing that was definite in all of this. Jane loved me. I allowed that statement to sink in for a few minutes before delving deeper. It seemed as though in order to move forward in all of this, I needed to accept that Jane's love for me is a constant. We unfortunately didn't actually get to talk about it, but for the sake of the argument, it seemed like the best approach.

If Jane's love for me was the constant, that, would logically make me the variable. But the thing was, I didn't want to be a variable…I wanted to be a constant too. I wanted to be sure of what I felt, and to be able to love Jane back…the way she deserved to be.

My mind brought me back to my earlier epiphany regarding Jane. She was an ideal mate. There was no doubt in my mind that the characteristics and traits that made her such an excellent detective and friend would translate into her being a wonderful partner or spouse for someone.

And then I realized I wanted her as _my_ partner. I wanted to be that someone.

I wanted Jane. I wanted her passion, her humor, her intensity, her wit, her intelligence, her gentleness, her sensitivity, her unwavering commitment to seeking justice…I wanted to experience all of that for the rest of my life, with my best friend. I wanted to push aside all the doubts that were making me feel as though I was drowning. I didn't want to be on the outside looking in. I wanted a relationship with Jane.

* * *

The water in the bath was cold by the time I realized my true feelings for Jane. Goosebumps stood out on my skin as I stood to grab a towel. Stepping carefully out of the bathtub, I dried myself off and grabbed my robe off the back of the bathroom door. After I had put it on, I moved towards my bed, and grabbing my cellphone off the bedside table, sat down on the end of the bed.

I paused for a moment and took a deep breath before dialing the number I knew by heart. The phone rang three times before I heard a loud thump and a muffled cry of "shit!" on the other end, along with some loud rustling noises.

"Maur?" – Jane sounded groggy, like I had woken her out of a deep sleep.

"Hi Jane."

"Sorry Maura…I fell asleep watching the Sox game, and then I dropped my phone when I went to pick it up."

"Oh, I wondered what that noise was…" I was on the verge of losing my nerve.

"Yeah….so…." Jane's words hung awkwardly in the air.

I cleared my throat nervously before continuing. "Jane, I think we need to talk about some things. And I would prefer we do it in person instead of over the phone. I thought a lot about what happened earlier and I want to discuss it with you. Can I come there or do you want to come here? I know it's getting late but I really want to talk to you."

A loud sigh, sounding a lot like relief, could be heard on the other end. "Sure Maur. We should talk. Have you eaten yet? I can pick up some Chinese and then swing by your place…"

As if on cue, my stomach rumbled, and I realized that I had not eaten since this morning.

"Yes, come on over. Chinese sounds great…just get me the usual. The door is unlocked so just let yourself in."

"Will do. See you soon."

When the line went dead, I put the phone back on my bedside table and lay down on the bed to compose my thoughts. Jane would be here shortly and even though I had figured out how I felt for her, I wasn't sure how to put my feelings into words. I shut my eyes to try and come up with a list of points to cover with Jane once she arrived.

I must have fallen asleep, because I woke up when I felt some movement on the bed. My eyes opened slowly and then I realized Jane was sitting next to me on the bed. She smiled tentatively at me before reaching out to run her hand gently through my hair. I sighed in contentment before moving to sit up.

"Hi" I breathed out sleepily.

"Hey yourself." - One corner of her mouth moved upwards in a lopsided grin- "I let myself in, but I couldn't find you. You must have been pretty tired Sleeping Beauty because I shouted up the stairs and you didn't even wake up."

"Yes, well, it has been an emotionally exhausting day"- I responded honestly.

Jane's smile slowly disappeared. "You can say that again. C'mon…I brought your favorite. Eat, then talk…or talk, then eat? Please say eat, then talk…I'm starving." She smiled hopefully, while rubbing her stomach for emphasis. She got up from the bed and held her hand out. I grabbed it and she pulled me to my feet.

Jane's face suddenly flushed a deep scarlet, and she turned her face away in embarrassment.

"Uhh, Maur…you might want to put some clothes on or something…"-she waved a hand in the general direction of my chest.

I looked down to notice that the tie on my robe had come loose while I slept, and the front of my robe had opened and my breasts were dangerously close to being exposed. Jane had likely gotten quite the eyeful of my ample chest. Feeling flushed myself, I quickly pulled the front of my robe securely together and moved to get some clothes out of my dresser.

"I-I'll just go and get some plates out or whatever" Jane sputtered, and exited the room.

* * *

I arrived downstairs a few minutes later, and Jane had laid everything out on the kitchen island. She was sitting on one of the tall stools pulling the label off her beer bottle distractedly. She looked up expectantly at me, and I couldn't help but notice the worried look in her eyes. I poured a glass of wine for myself, took a seat across from her, and slid one of the white takeout boxes towards me. Even though my nerves were getting the best of me, I shot a reassuring smile at her. Jane seemed to relax a bit, and pulled one of the boxes towards her and began to eat right out of the container.

I only managed to take a few bites before putting my chopsticks down. I didn't want to postpone the inevitable any longer. My eyes flicked upward nervously to see a pair of deep brown eyes intently glued on me.

"Jane" – my voice was barely louder than a whisper. I cleared my throat and continued, my voice a little stronger- "I thought a lot about what happened earlier, and wanted to talk about some things. A-about…us." I looked down at my plate and began to fidget with my chopsticks.

Jane nodded slowly and took a long drink from her beer. She put the bottle down and spoke.

"Maura, before you say anything, I wanted to apologize for earlier. I lost my temper and said some things I shouldn't have. I hope you know how sorry I am for reacting poorly. I just…well, telling someone you love them is a big deal, especially for me. Please know that I don't take this lightly and I hope you know how much you mean to me."

Her hand slid across the granite countertop towards mine, as if to grab my hand. She hesitated, and it stopped a few inches away from mine. I closed the distance and took hold of her hand, giving it a gentle squeeze.

"I know Jane. I'm sorry too…for kissing you and then dismissing it like it didn't mean anything. I-I realized today that it did mean something. You mean _so _much to me, and I can't imagine not having you in my life. Almost losing you to Hoyt really shook me up."

My amygdala and lacrimal gland were at it again, and tears began to flow freely down my cheeks.

"The truth is, hearing you say that you loved me out loud terrified me. It forced me to think about what I was feeling for you. Jane, you are my best friend. I love so much about you. Today, I realized that when I picture my future, that future is with you. I want a future with _you_ Jane."

In one swift motion, Jane got out of her seat and came to stand next to me. I swiveled my chair towards her and she moved closer to stand between my legs. She bent down and locked her eyes on mine, and I could see tears on her face too.

"Maur"-she breathed –"I want a future with you too. _So_ bad. We can take this however slow or however fast you want. Just…be with me. Trust me."

Those scarred hands reached out to cup both sides of my face, and she leaned in to kiss my forehead softly, her lips lingering there for a few seconds. She let out a contented sigh and tilted her head down to rest her forehead against mine. My hands came up to wrap around her slim waist and to pull her even closer. I couldn't seem to pull her close enough in that moment.

Pulling my face back slightly, I looked up to meet her gaze. Her eyes were full of unshed tears, and intensely searched my face for a few seconds. I leaned in and placed a light kiss on her exposed clavicle. My lips moved slowly upwards and I pressed another kiss on the soft skin right behind her ear. Pulling back for a second, my eyes locked on hers before I spoke.

"Ok." I leaned in once more to place a final kiss on the side of her mouth.

She looked at me for several seconds before raising her eyebrows in question.

"Ok?" She looked at me for reassurance.

I quickly slid off of the chair and pulled her into my arms, the contact eliciting a small gasp from Jane. I smiled through the tears that were still falling down my face before confirming the answer to the question she so desperately wanted to hear.

"Ok."

I quickly realized the best feeling in the world was Jane's lips slowly curling into a smile against my neck.

* * *

**A/N - I had to leave things on a happy note since it will be a while until my next update. For those of you following, there will be another update at the end of next week when I get back from vacation. Until then, happy reading, and thanks for all the follows and favorites. You rock! **


	14. Chapter 14

**A/N - Thanks to those of you who waited patiently for me to get back from vacation. I'm back, so here is the next chapter...enjoy!**

* * *

Chap. 14

We stayed like that for several minutes, just enjoying the feeling of being close. Jane's hands had made their way to my lower back and her fingertips of her left hand ghosted lightly along the bare skin between my shirt and my yoga pants, idly drawing random patterns. The feeling of being so close to her was intoxicating. It made my head swim. I pulled away after a few more minutes, and gave her a soft kiss on the cheek before disengaging completely to sit at the kitchen island once again. Jane smiled and followed suit, picking up her container of orange chicken and digging right in.

We ate in silence for few moments, enjoying our meal, before Jane looked up at me and smiled. She chuckled softly and shook her head as if she were in disbelief.

I put down my chopsticks once again before looking at her quizzically. "What is it Jane?" I asked.

"Nothing Maur. I just…can't believe that we are doing _this_. I have wanted this for so long. I am so happy... _you_ make me happy." Her eyes were full of emotion once again as she smiled warmly at me.

I smiled too. Jane had never looked this content before. She looked peaceful. She took a few more bites of her food before moving to clear her plate and throw away her empty takeout box. Grabbing another beer out of the fridge, she took a few sips and waited until I had finished before taking my hand and leading me towards the couch.

Jane sat down on the couch, swung her legs up, and scooted herself so her back was against the back of the couch. She stretched out and wiggled to get comfortable before pulling me down next to her. This seemed rather forward despite the new status of our relationship, so before I could help it, the question was out of my mouth.

"Jane…what are you doing?"

"Relax Maura…I…well, I just want to cuddle with you." She looked at me sheepishly. "I have wanted to do this for months now…just be close to you and hold you."

Relieved- even though I would never admit it- I lied back to position myself next to Jane. Scooting closer, I placed my head on her chest and not knowing what to do with my arms, I instinctively wrapped one behind her and rested my other hand lightly on her flat stomach.

"For such a badass, you are rather soft , Jane Rizzoli. Who would have thought that Boston's finest homicide detective likes to snuggle?" I giggled softly as I nestled my head into her neck further.

Even though I couldn't see it, I knew that Jane was likely rolling her eyes. She batted me lightly on my shoulder before her hand moved to capture the hand resting on her stomach. She kissed the back of my hand before resting our joined hands on her chest. She placed another kiss on the top of my head and let out a sigh of contentment. I could feel her heart beating strongly in her chest. Her other arm came up to wrap around me protectively

It felt good lying there in Jane's arms. _Really_ good. Safe. Even though it felt so natural, and I knew I definitely wanted this, there were still some questions lingering in the back of my mind. So much of this relationship would be uncharted territory, I was struggling to wrap my mind around where this was headed. I took a deep breath and tried to push my fears and doubts away. I just wanted to enjoy the moment with Jane. I closed my eyes and began to rub the fingertips of my free hand along Jane's bare shoulder. She shivered slightly in response to my gentle touch, and I could feel goosebumps appear underneath my fingertips.

"Maura…"-her voice caused my eyes to flutter open-"When we talking last night about what we wanted out of life…you _do_ know that I was referring to you and I, right?"

I shifted slightly so I could look up her, and the movements of my hand against her arm stilled. It hadn't occurred to me until now. But now that I was thinking about it again, it made sense.

"Yes Jane. I know that now."

She paused and looked down at me before continuing.

"OK. So I just wanted you and I to be on the same page with all of this. I don't care how fast or slow we get there, but I want my intentions to be clear…I want a partner, a spouse. And somewhere down the line, I want some kids too. I will wait as long as it takes Maura. But know that I want all of this with you…and only you." She squeezed my hand gently to emphasize her point.

I let her words sink in. The idea of someday being married to Jane sounded excellent, but we had a lot of ground to cover in our relationship before I would be ready for such a step. I had really never given the idea of having children much thought until the last few years. My career consumed so much of my time and impacted my romantic life so much I never really considered it a possibility to become a mother. The idea had entered my mind several months ago, and of course was brought up again when Jane and I had talked about it last night. But hearing her say it again made me realize that I wanted children. Her children. Little wide-eyed, wild-haired, long-limbed, feisty, children.

Before I could get too carried away picturing our future Jane squeezed my hand again and shifted to look at me again with a worried look on her face.

"Maur…hey, earth to Maura…" Her lips brushed my forehead in a gentle kiss. "Hey…I didn't scare you off did I?"

Smiling reassuringly at her I gave her hand a squeeze back.

"No Jane. Not at all." I could feel her relax underneath me. "Even though this is all new to me, I want you to know I can picture all that for you and I. And even though I don't know how long it will take us to get to that point, nothing would make me happier than to someday be married to you, Jane. And even though I know our parenting styles will completely clash, the idea of having children with you sounds wonderful. I said it last night, but I want it all too Jane."

She exhaled deeply as if she had been holding her breath for quite some time, and pressed another kiss in my hair. Looking up at her, I watched a grin spread across her face slowly before a big yawn overtook me. She let go of my hand to run her finger across my cheek lightly, a smile still playing over her lips.

"I think someone is ready for bed, Dr. Isles." Jane tapped her index finger lightly on the tip of my nose. "What do you say we head up to bed…I mean, if you don't mind me staying over…?" Jane looked at me nervously and moved to sit up.

I sat up as well and touched her arm reassuringly. "No, Jane, I don't mind. Please stay. Let's go to bed."

Jane stood up and held out one of her scarred hands to pull me to my feet. Still holding my hand, she began to lead me up the stairs and into the bedroom. I headed into my bathroom to brush my teeth while she pulled the sheets down on the bed. As I brushed my teeth, I watched her hesitate, and bite her lip, before looking down at her clothes. She shook her head slightly, and moved to slide her sweatpants down her legs. She stepped out of them and tossed them on a nearby chair, leaving her only in her tank top and a pair of deep purple underwear. As if she were embarrassed, she moved quickly to get into bed, pulling the covers over her as fast as she could.

I finished brushing my teeth and after putting my hair up into a loose ponytail, I moved to my closet to change into my pajamas. After witnessing Jane undressing, I rethought my wardrobe choice, and instead slid my yoga pants off, leaving me in my underwear and a t-shirt, just like Jane. I shut off the lights and moved to get into bed.

After I had made myself comfortable, I realized Jane was as far over on the other side of the bed as one could be. I rolled onto my side to face her.

"Jane…you can touch me you know. We just spent the past hour wrapped up in each other on the couch. Why are you all the way over there?"

At first there was no movement, but then I felt the mattress move as Jane scooted towards me, eventually stopping to rest next to me. I could feel her body heat, but she didn't touch me.

"Sorry Maur. I didn't want to take things too fast…" She reached out a hand and rested it tentatively on my hip.

Before I could second-guess myself, I grasped her hand while rolling onto my back, and pulled so she was on top of me, enjoying the warmth of her bare legs on mine. Even in the dark, I could see the look of surprise on her face. I brushed a stray curl out of her eyes before grasping her neck and pulling her in for a kiss.

This time, the kiss was intense, but passionate. Jane responded immediately, and deepened the kiss, her hands moving to rest on the bed on either side of my head. Her lips moved against mine in a way that stirred up my body in a way that it had never been stirred before. Her tongue ran teasingly along my lower lip, before her lips moved away from mine, and began to place kisses down my neck towards my chest. My hands moved into her hair and tangled up in her curls before I shifted my body so that I was on top.

With renewed passion, I kissed her again, our lips clashing together and leaving us both breathless. Before I knew it, our tongues were doing a dance of their own, each battling for dominance and creating sensations I didn't even know were possible. I could feel the heat gathering in the pit of my stomach, and pulled away, breathing hard.

I rolled off Jane and lay there, breathless. In my peripheral vision, I saw Jane reach up and run a hand through her hair.

"God…Maur…what was that for?" She managed to get out between breaths.

I paused for a moment.

"Research." I stated simply, a sly smile creeping across my lips.

Jane's loud, warm laugh filled the bedroom, the mattress shaking underneath her. She rolled onto her side before she tapped me on the shoulder and gestured for me to move. Rolling onto my side, she scooted to move behind me, her front settling against my back with reassuring warmth. Her hand came to rest on my hip once again and she kissed the back of my shoulder before settling in.

It was quiet for several moments. I felt Jane smile against my neck once again.

"Maura…if that was your idea of research, I will be your test subject anytime."


	15. Chapter 15

**A/N - Thanks for sticking with me on this. Just FYI this chapter still falls within a T rating, but there is an "intimate" scenario towards the end. Not sex though. Just...sexy. Also, this is turning out a little longer than I had originally planned. I have ADHD, so reading long chapters is hard for me, so that tends to reflect in my writing as well, as I prefer to break up chapters so they aren't super long. As always, questions, comments, concerns, and reviews are appreciated. Happy reading!  
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Chap. 15

A warm sensation on my abdomen brought me out of my sleep the next morning. Opening my eyes slowly in the bright morning light, I looked down to find the source of the strange sensation. Jane's left hand was the culprit. She had slid up my shirt to expose my stomach, and her hand was slowly moving over my skin in lazy circles. Blinking away the sleep from my eyes and remembering yesterday's events, I turned my head to face Jane.

She was lying on her side, her right hand tucked between her head and the pillow. One of her legs was resting between mine. She seemed to be in a trance, not noticing that I was awake. Her left hand continued to move slowly, stopping briefly near my navel, her index finger tracing lightly around the small indentation. I shivered at the feeling, and Jane's eyes moved up to meet mine, realizing that I was awake. They were a deep chocolate brown this morning, and I could see her eyes soften as she smiled at me.

"Mornin' Maura." She reached up to brush a strand of hair that had escaped from my ponytail as I slept out of my face. Her hand returned to my stomach and resumed its movement. "I hope you don't mind…your skin is so soft."

"I most definitely do not mind Jane. It feels good, in fact…soothing. Oh, and good morning to you too." Smiling in response, I craned my neck to give her a kiss on her forehead. "To be honest Jane, waking up to this every day would be rather nice." I blushed at the thought.

"That can be arranged." She grinned back at me.

Her hand continued it's slow movements, back and forth across the pale skin on my stomach. After some time, her hand began to get more adventurous in its movements, her index finger trailing along the elastic waistband of my underwear, before sliding upwards and tracing a slow trail along the curve of the underside of my breasts. She followed this path for a few moments. Her warm fingertips felt like fire in contrast to the cool air that was hitting my exposed skin. The pleasurable sensations that Jane was creating were dizzying, and I took a few deep breaths trying to calm my breathing down. I knew that she wasn't trying intentionally to move things to a more physical level, but my brain was working in overdrive trying to process these new and amazing sensations. Not wanting Jane to move too fast, I moved to capture her roving hand with mine and looked up at her again.

"Jane…"- I breathed- "That _really_ feels good, but can we slow things down a bit? Not that I don't want it, I just don't want to rush…things."

Jane frowned. "Maura, it's okay. I don't want you to ever feel like I am rushing this…or rushing you. You are just so….beautiful. So…perfect. I got carried away trying to touch and explore. I didn't intend to make you feel like we were moving towards a more physical relationship. Anytime you feel like things are going too fast, just tell me. I'll stop. No questions asked."

Her face was earnest and I leaned in to kiss her lightly on the lips.

"Thank you Jane. This is all very new for me. To be honest, it has been a while since I have been intimate with anyone, let alone my best friend, who happens to be a woman. I mean, I enjoy intercourse as much as the next person, I just don't want to rush things."

Jane frowned again, before raising a finger to my lips.

"Shhh…its okay Maura. And really, _intercourse_? Talk about a turn off…can't you just call it sex like the rest of us? And this is new for me too. I haven't felt like this about anyone before…man or woman."

I opened my mouth to respond before Jane's finger touched my lips again.

"Maur, really, its fine. Rushing into things like sex is never a great idea, even if we really both want it. I got carried away. From now on, you set the pace."

Nodding, I relaxed into the pillows and shut my eyes. I heard Jane exhale deeply and she snuggled her face into the side of my neck.

"Oh, and Jane…you should know that I am quite adept in the bedroom…" I whispered quietly, opening one eye to gauge her reaction.

Her eyebrows shot upward in surprise, and a few seconds passed before I saw her Rizzoli grin spread across her face. I loved that grin. She snuggled in deeper before I heard her quiet response.

"I bet you are, Dr. Isles."

* * *

We spent the majority of Saturday in bed, just talking. The day passed quickly and before we knew it, it was Sunday morning. We were having a lazy morning eating brunch in the kitchen when Jane suddenly paused, her forkful of eggs halfway to her mouth.

"Shit…Maura, its Rizzoli Sunday. I totally forgot. Ma and the guys will be here in a couple hours!"

I had forgotten as well. The past few days had been a whirlwind of emotions- both good and bad- and it had totally slipped my mind. Panic began to set in as I realized the house was a mess and I didn't have any of the necessary groceries to make an adequate dinner. Not to mention the fact that Jane and I were now in a relationship, and I was sure Angela would notice. Nothing got past her, especially when it came to her children and their personal lives.

Jane looked at me. "Do you think we should cancel? You _know_ Ma is gonna figure out what is going on between us, right? I can't keep avoiding her though, especially after this whole Hoyt thing." She looked down at her plate and started to spread the now forgotten scrambled eggs around with her fork.

I set my coffee mug down before scanning the room and taking stock of what needed to be done. We had exactly three hours before people would arrive and we both needed to shower, the downstairs needed to be tidied up, groceries needed to be bought, and then we needed to start cooking. I bit my lip, trying to figure out a plan of action.

"No…don't cancel. We can make this work. How about you tidy up down here while I jump in the shower? Then you can take a shower while I go shopping for groceries. When I get back, you and I can start cooking together."

Jane nodded, and moved to grab our plates to begin clearing them off in the sink. "Good plan Maur…very…logical." She grabbed the dish soap and started to wash the dishes. "But, you forgot one thing…what are we going to tell them? About us?"

I moved across the kitchen and tentatively wrapped my arms around her slim waist from behind. I rested my chin on her shoulder and took a deep breath. To be honest, I wasn't sure what to tell them. I had never done this before.

"I don't know Jane…what do you want to do?"

Jane paused, her hands coated in suds resting on the edge of the sink. She resumed washing the dishes before speaking.

"What would you say if we didn't tell them anything? I think we should just be ourselves and let them figure it out on their own. You know my Ma will anyways." She turned slightly to look at me. "I don't want to make a big deal about it…no big 'coming out of the closet' announcement or anything. Let's just…be us. If they ask questions-you know Ma will-we can answer them, but I don't feel a need to throw my personal life out there into the open right now."

I thought over her proposition for a few moments. It seemed like a good idea, not forcing the issue, but just letting it happen naturally. Just like our relationship. I gave Jane a quick kiss on the nape of her neck and hugged her tightly before releasing her.

"Soooo…I take that as a yes?" Jane turned, with her eyebrows raised in question.

"Yes. It seems like the best course of action."

Jane rinsed the last of the dishes before shutting off the water and drying her hands on a towel. "Go take your shower Maura. I will clean up down here. Go!" She swatted my bottom playfully.

Laughing, I moved to get out of her way and started up the stairs. Once in the bathroom, I started the water in the shower before moving into my closet to undress. After shedding my clothes and grabbing my robe, I entered the bathroom again and waited for the water to heat up some more. Catching a glimpse of my naked body in the mirror, my mind drifted to the conversation Jane and I had yesterday about the physical nature of our relationship. I wasn't scared of being intimate with Jane, but I was worried about the implications that a sexual relationship inevitably brings about. In the past, I had sexual relationships that certainly left me satisfied, but then communication became nonexistent. I didn't want to fall into that rut with Jane. But at the same time, I didn't want the fear of what _could_ happen to dictate the course of our relationship.

I moved to open the door of the shower, before shutting it again and moving back into my bedroom. I knew what I wanted to do. I wasn't ready for sex just yet, but wanted to show her that I wanted her. Taking a deep breath and gathering up my courage I called out – "Jane! Jane?"

"What's up Maur?" Jane called back up the staircase.

"C-can you come up here?" I called back in response.

I could hear her loud footsteps as she bounded up the wooden staircase, padding down the hallway and into my room. She stopped short when she entered my room, her eyebrows flying up in surprise. Her eyes took in my naked body, slowly raking from my legs up to my torso, then moving forward past my chest and up to meet my eyes. She closed her eyes and breathed deeply a few times, before opening them again, her eyes a dark brown that I had never seen before.

"Holy…shit…" She breathed. "God…you're beautiful."

I slowly closed the distance between us and took her hand, leading her back towards the bathroom, where steam was now billowing out of the shower. Grabbing the door handle once again, I opened the door, entered the shower, and turned back to smile nervously at Jane.

"Do you want to join me?" I could feel warmth creeping over my cheeks.

Jane swallowed and nodded slowly, her eyes never leaving my body. I watched as she hurriedly slid her shirt up over her head, exposing her sports bra and beautifully toned abdomen. My eyes stopped when I noticed the healing burn on her chest. Next, she slid down her sweatpants. I smiled when I noticed she was wearing her Red Sox underwear. She grinned too, looking a little embarrassed. In two quick movements, she shed her bra and her underwear, and moved to enter the shower, shutting the door behind her.

We stood there under the rain showerhead, eyes raking over each other. Jane moved forward a step and her hands reached out before dropping back down to her sides.

I took another step forward, and we were standing face–to-face, as close as we could be without touching. Warm water streamed down over us, rivulets creating pathways down our skin. My heart beat erratically in my chest. Reaching out, I grabbed both of her hands and placed them on my hips. She gasped at the contact, and she looked up nervously at me.

"I-is this okay? I don't want to rush this." Her voice was low, almost a whisper.

I leaned in to kiss her, my hands coming up to wrap around her neck.

"Jane…its fine. I want this. I want to…explore at bit. Touch me."

Jane responded by pulling me closer, the length of our naked bodies coming into contact. I moaned at the contact, her body felt so warm against mine. Her lips met mine once again, this time moving hungrily, desperately, over mine. Our tongues moved in a familiar dance once again, stirring up my body in merely seconds. Water continued to stream down over us, intensifying the heat that was building between us. Her hands roved over my skin, sliding first to my lower back, before dipping lower to grasp my buttocks. After lingering there for a few seconds, she moved them along the curve where my buttocks meet the back of my thighs, then slid up to grasp me by the hips again.

I pressed my lips against hers once again, kissing her greedily and pulling her close. Our breasts came together, hard nipples creating new sensations against warm, wet skin. My hands began to roam over Jane's body as well, appreciating the long, lean muscles that seemed to be everywhere. She truly was a specimen of a woman.

Finally, she pulled away, breathless. Our foreheads rested together and our hands stopped exploring and we linked our fingers together.

I tried to speak, a difficult task when my heart rate was elevated and my breath was coming in gasps.

"Jane…you…you're beautiful." I managed to gasp out.

We stood there for a few minutes, recovering, while the warm water beat down on our heads, foreheads pressed together.

"Thank you Maura. For…this…for sharing this with me." Jane murmured against me. "I love you. I feel like I am in a dream." She leaned in for another kiss, which I reciprocated. Her hands came up to smooth down my wet hair. "But, as much as I want to do this all day, my family is coming over in a few short hours so we should probably actually shower and get moving."

"Yes…probably."

Jane picked up the bottle of my shampoo, squeezed some into her palm, and began to gently work it into my blonde hair. After she had finished, she positioned me underneath the showerhead to rinse it out. Next, she took my body wash and began to tenderly apply it to my upper body, smoothing it along my shoulders and upper back. Her hands slid expertly down a little lower, and I couldn't help but notice her hands linger for a few seconds as she massaged the soap over my breasts. She looked up at me with a sheepish grin and just shrugged.

I couldn't help but laugh. We chuckled briefly before I returned the favor and washed her hair and body, savoring each touch on her soft skin. When we were finally clean, we kissed for a few more minutes before I reached out to shut off the water, almost sad for this time to end.

Just as we were stepping out of the shower, a loud noise sounding like pots and pans clanging together came from downstairs. We both froze and looked up at each other before we heard the unmistakable voice of Angela Rizzoli call out.

"Maura? Jane? Are you girls here? I brought the pasta sauce!" Another loud noise rang out below.

Jane looked at me. Panic had obviously set in. It was written all over her face.

"Dammit Ma! Jesus…she seriously has the worst timing!"


	16. Chapter 16

Chap. 16

Jane grabbed a towel off the rack and wrapped it around herself hastily, while muttering under her breath.

"God Ma, why can't you just show up on time like a normal person? But no, you show up two hours early just for shits and giggles. And here I am, naked and dripping wet with my girlfriend…this can't look good. Bring on the awkward questions…"

It wasn't lost on me that Jane had just referred to me as her girlfriend. But there wasn't too much time to ruminate on it because suddenly, the sound of Jane's cellphone ringing broke through the chaos.

Tripping over the discarded clothes that now lay forgotten on the bathroom floor, Jane ran towards the bedside table where her phone was. Without thinking, I followed after I had gathered up Jane's clothes in my arms.

Before Jane could answer her phone, footsteps could be heard out in the hallway outside my bedroom.

"Janie? Are you there? I can hear your phone ringing? Where are…"

Her question died out and suddenly Angela Rizzoli was standing in the doorway, her phone pressed to her ear. Her mouth dropped open in shock as she took in the sight of Jane, wet and clad only in a towel, and I, still naked and dripping water onto the floor. Jane grabbed me and shoved me behind herself unceremoniously to shield me from Angela's wide-eyed scrutiny. Angela's hand, still holding the cell phone to her ear, slowly moved down to rest at her side before her embarrassment registered. Her cell phone dropped to the floor with a clatter and both her hands flew up to her eyes.

"Oh! Oh God! Why didn't you tell me you two were up here canoodling? A little warning might have been nice!"

I could feel Jane tense up and she groaned loudly in exasperation.

"Seriously Ma? You let yourself into Maura's house, make yourself at home, barge into her bedroom _uninvited_…then tell us _WE_ should have given _YOU_ some warning? Really? _Really_?" Her towel was dangerously close to coming undone as she gestured wildly.

"But…but I'm supposed to be here!" – Angela sputtered – "It's Rizzoli Sunday. You invited me. Or can't you remember? Maybe you were too busy making out with Maura and you forgot." Angela pointed accusatorily in my direction.

"We weren't making out Angela, we merely took a shower together." Not a complete lie, I rationalized, just…omitting some details.

Jane groaned again and spoke through gritted teeth. "Not. Helping. Maura." She pushed me again slightly, making sure that my naked body was still out of view from Angela. "Ma! Just…go downstairs, okay? Give us a minute to get ourselves together and then you can interrogate us."

Angela bent to pick up her phone from the floor, then, in a loud huff, turned on her heel and exited the room. Jane breathed a sigh of relief and slumped down onto the bed. I dropped the pile of clothes I had been clutching to cover my nakedness and flopped down next to her. We lay there for a minute, trying to wrap our minds around what had just happened. Angela had not only just found out that we were together-_or did she?_-, but we happened to be naked and next-to-naked in the process. Out of the corner of my eye I saw Jane's hands come up, the heels of her hands digging into her eyes, likely trying to erase the memory of what just had happened. The bed began to shake, and momentarily I thought she was crying, before a loud peal of laughter escaped.

Her laughter began to build, almost like a crescendo of music, rolling and filling the air. The sound was contagious, and soon I had joined her, my own laughter adding to the noise. We rolled towards each other trying to contain our laughter, and eventually we calmed down enough to talk.

"Sorry Maura…God, that was so ridiculous, all I could do was laugh. My Ma is something else." Jane wiped a tear that had escaped during our laughing fit off her cheek. "Well…that wasn't exactly how I planned to tell her that we were together…" She smiled wistfully.

"No, that was certainly less than ideal." I responded. "We should get dressed. I think we have some explaining to do."

Jane pouted slightly and leaned in to kiss me gently, lingering for a few seconds. "Or…we could just stay up here. It's not every day I have a beautiful girl naked in bed. " She smirked. "We could, ya know…_explore_ some more." Her eyebrows wiggled suggestively.

I giggled at her proposition and brought my hand up to cup her face. "We will have plenty of time for exploring Jane. Right now I think we should get dressed and face the wrath of Angela Rizzoli before things really get out of hand."

Jane kissed my cheek before groaning and getting to her feet. She extended her hand to pull me up and off the bed as well. She unwrapped the towel from her body and held it out to me. I let my eyes wander slowly over her body once more before grasping the towel and beginning to dry the remainder of the water off my body. Moving to the closet, I picked out a pair of jeans and my favorite cashmere sweater and began to get dressed. When I peeked my head out, Jane was fully dressed and sitting on the bed once again, chewing her thumb distractedly. I pulled my damp hair into a ponytail and moved to sit next to Jane.

"Maur, I was thinking…" Jane started.

"Oh? About what?"

"Is it okay if I talk to Ma alone? About us?"

I was a little taken back by her question, but understood where she was coming from. Same-sex relationships can be a stumbling point for any family, and the way in which Angela had just discovered ours was less than ideal. Giving Jane space to talk to Angela seemed like a logical idea. Tilting my head to rest on her shoulder, I wrapped my arm around her waist, giving her a comforting squeeze.

"Sure Jane. If that is what you want, I will run out to the store and give you two some time to talk."

"Thanks Maura. I just feel like I should be the one to explain all this to her, ya know? Even if she is batshit crazy, she's still my Ma. And then all of us can talk when you get back." She stood and turned to walk towards the door, pausing in the threshold to hold her hand out. "You coming?"

Standing up, I grabbed her hand and we walked down the stairs together. Angela had busied herself in the kitchen, a large pot of sauce simmering on the stove. She smiled slightly as Jane wrapped her arms around her and pulled her in for a hug.

"Hey Ma. Sorry it took so long. Maura is gonna run to the store, but can we talk?"

Angela nodded. "Yes Janie, I would like that." She turned to me. "Maura, I was planning on chicken parmigiana. I have the sauce made, but we will need everything else if you can pick it up at the store."

I nodded. "Yes, that should be fine Angela." Grabbing my purse, I moved towards the door to grab my keys off the hook where they rested. Jane followed me to the door, her hand resting gently on the small of my back.

"I'll be back in an hour or so." I leaned in to give her a quick kiss on the lips, noticing Angela watching us from her place in the kitchen. "Good luck!" I whispered to Jane. We exchanged a knowing look and she opened the door.

* * *

True to my word, I returned an hour later, with shopping bags full of groceries. Placing my keys back on the hook, I turned to enter the kitchen. Jane was sitting on one of the barstools, a beer on the counter in front of her. Angela was nowhere to be seen. Fearing the worst, I quickly deposited the groceries on the kitchen floor and moved towards Jane.

"Jane honey, how did it go?"

She smiled. "Stop worrying Maur, it was fine. She took it well."

I was relieved. Angela was somewhat of a loose cannon, as was Jane come to think of it, so I was never quite sure about how she would react to certain situations.

"Really? That's great Jane! But…where is she?"

As if on cue, I heard a flush from the half bathroom next to the guestroom, and shortly after, the water running. Angela emerged several seconds later.

"Oh, Maura, you're back! Good, cus we have a lot to do before Frankie, Frost, and Korsak get here. Janie, get off your ass and come help put these groceries away!"

"Awww, Ma, come on!" Jane protested loudly, before hopping off the stool, kissing my cheek, and starting to sort the groceries.

While Jane was occupied by the groceries, Angela pulled me away toward the living room. She held me gently by my upper arms, leaning in to whisper conspiratorially.

"Maura, all I have ever wanted as a parent was for my kids to be happy. Ever since Jane met you, she has been happy. So happy. I never thought she would settle down, let alone settle down with a woman, but seeing her around you….something just feels right. Janie and I talked about it, and even though this is a little bit of a shock to my system, you know, finding out that my daughter is in a relationship with her best friend, I just wanted to know that I support you two. And even though you were pretty much family before, this just makes it official." Her eyes glistened as she finished. She pulled me in for a hug, taking me by surprise.

I could feel the tears burning in my eyes as she released me. This was not quite the reaction I had anticipated, and it was heartwarming. I had never felt like I had belonged to a family, and for the first time, I was experiencing the love of a family first-hand. I struggled to push down the emotions and smiled gratefully at Angela.

"Thank you Angela. For accepting our relationship, and accepting me."

"You're welcome honey. Take care of my Janie. I know she will take care of you."

And with that, she moved back to the kitchen to begin preparing dinner. Jane shot a worried look at me when I came in, and I shook my head and smiled at her. I busied myself with starting to prepare a salad, and Jane took up her position perched next to the counter with a beer in her hand. We worked in silence for a while, rushing to prepare all of the food before the other guests arrived.

"So Janie, now that you and Maura are together…when can I expect some grandbabies?" I could see a sly smile on Angela's face as she asked the seemingly innocuous question.

Jane nearly spit out the mouthful of beer she had just put into her mouth. She wiped a hand across her mouth and swallowed carefully.

"God Ma, cut right to the chase why don't ya! We have been together for, like, two days!"

I reached out to grab Jane's hand, chuckling lightly at her reaction. I turned to face Angela, who I knew wouldn't let it go unless we gave her the answer she was looking for.

"Angela, I think what Jane was _trying_ to say is that although it is early on in our relationship, we have talked about it and we would both like to have children. Though, not for a few years in all likelihood."

That seemed to appease Angela, and we resumed our duties in the kitchen. Not too long after, the doorbell rang, and the other guests began to arrive.

* * *

It was a light-hearted evening, filled with lots of laughter and noise, a typical Sunday with the Rizzolis. It was good to see Frost and Korsak as well, since neither Jane nor I had been in to headquarters for several days. Jane held my hand for most of the night, and every time our eyes met, I could see her affection for me clearly displayed in them. She didn't seem concerned about the others finding out about our relationship, and Frankie, Frost, and Korsak didn't seem to notice anything out of the ordinary. Or if they did, they didn't seem to indicate it.

One by one, the guests left, leaving Jane and I alone once again. Angela had been the last to leave, generously staying behind to help us clean up. Which we quickly realized was a ploy to ask us more probing questions about our relationship. Jane handled it well, only rolling her eyes a handful of times, but by the time she left, we were ready for some peace and quiet.

It was late, and we had made our way to the couch, snuggled up together fighting sleep. Jane was scratching my back lightly underneath my sweater, something I quickly realized I really enjoyed.

"Maur…we have to go back to work tomorrow."

"I know." I raised my head to look at her. She was frowning slightly and her brow was furrowed. "What's the matter?"

"I just don't want the weekend to end. Besides the whole 'Ma walking in on us naked' thing, this weekend has been one of the happiest weekends of my life. I just can't believe we are doing this. I am so lucky to have you Maura." She sighed and ran a finger lightly down my cheek.

"Jane, we will have many other weekends." I moved to sit up, each leg resting on either side of her, effectively straddling her. "Really, we have the rest of our lives if I have anything to say about it."

Jane shut her eyes, a look of pure bliss displayed across her face. She opened them again, and leaned in to capture my lips in a kiss. She wrapped her arms around my waist, her fingers splayed over the bare skin on my lower back. Before things progressed too far, she pulled back, placing another kiss on the exposed skin my v-neck sweater provided at the top of my chest.

"I should go. It's getting late." A loud yawn confirmed her statement.

"You can stay you know…if you want to."

Her forehead rested against mine as she shut her eyes again.

"God Maur, I would love to, but I really should go home. You know, with work tomorrow and everything. I haven't been home for more than a few hours, and I don't have any work clothes here." She opened her eyes and exhaled slowly.

Even though neither of us really wanted to move, I slid off of her so she could get up. After rubbing her eyes sleepily, she slid on her sneakers and moved towards the door to grab her keys. The cool night air took me by surprise as she opened the door to leave.

"So, I guess I will see you tomorrow huh?"

I wrapped my arms around her tightly, breathing in her scent and memorizing the feel of her body next to mine. I kissed her lightly on the cheek and pulled away, shivering slightly at the loss of her body heat.

"Yes, see you in the morning. Goodnight Jane."

She smiled and grabbed my hand, placing a light kiss on the back of it before releasing it.

"Goodnight beautiful."


	17. Chapter 17

**A/N - Sorry folks, I meant to update this earlier in the week, but I tweaked my back while running and have mostly been laying on my stomach with a heating bad on my back for the past few days. Not the most conducive position for writing...Anyways, thank you to those who have been following, favoriting, and commenting. Keep the reviews coming! Another update or two coming this weekend. Thanks!**

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Ch. 17

To be honest, I was nervous when I woke up the next morning, that strange fluttering sensation in my stomach present, as I got ready for the day. In the past, I had always maintained a policy of not revealing my personal life to colleagues, which was always easy considering I had never had any friends at work. Even when I came to BPD, I never really talked about my prior relationships with Jane or anyone else. I just never saw the point of talking about my personal life at work since it was in no way related to my job. Although I knew Jane would be discreet at work, I was nervous to see if our newfound relationship would change our work dynamic.

I had a rough night of sleep, so getting ready seemed to be taking forever in my somewhat groggy state. I had just finished getting dressed when my phone rang. Glancing at the caller ID and smiling, I picked it up.

"Morning Jane." I said brightly.

"Hey Maur. We got a body. If I swing by and pick you up, you wanna head straight there and check it out before we go to headquarters?" Jane was all business.

"Yes, that is fine. Come on in when you get here and grab some coffee, its already made. I will be ready shortly."

"Okay…see you in a few." She hung up.

I was just putting the finishing touches on my makeup when I heard the front door shut. Taking one last final look in the mirror, I slipped on my heels and headed downstairs. Jane was in the kitchen hunched over at the island, pouring steaming coffee into a travel mug that she had likely pilfered from my cabinet.

"Hey." She didn't look up as I walked into the kitchen, instead busying herself by adding copious amounts of sugar and cream to her coffee. I watched as she added teaspoon after teaspoon of sugar, appalled by the amount she was putting into her coffee.

"Jane! You really should use less sugar! Consuming large quantities of refined sugar has been linked to various maladies including weight gain, diabetes, cancer, and heart disease."

Jane stopped stirring her coffee and glared at me. "Thanks Mom, but I _like _sugar." She said irritably. "I guess this is a bad time to tell you about the Lucky Charms I had for breakfast…" She said under her breath. She resumed stirring her coffee, a little more vigorously than before.

Rolling my eyes - a habit I had picked up from Jane in the recent months – I put my hand on her arm. "You shouldn't make fun Jane, I am just looking out for your health…"

Jane's stirring motions slowed down, eventually halting after a few quiet seconds. She looked up at me apologetically.

"Sorry Maur. I'm having a bit of a rough morning is all." She raised her coffee to take a sip before snapping the top of the travel mug into place. "I didn't sleep very well." As she raised her head up again, I noticed the dark circles under her eyes.

I grabbed another travel mug from the cabinet and poured myself a cup of coffee.

"More nightmares?" I asked, genuinely concerned. "Do you want to talk about it?"

Jane shook her head, her dark curls brushing over the collar of her dress shirt.

"No…not nightmares. Nerves." She chewed her lip. "I am nervous about work. You know…_us_ at work. I mean, I don't plan on advertising the fact that we are together, but you know…people talk, and I don't want it to negatively affect my work or our relationship." She stood to full height and turned to face me. "Why can't we just stay here in our little bubble?" She smiled wistfully.

I reached out for her hand, linking her long, slender fingers in mine. She let out a deep breath as my thumb rubbed lightly on the back of her hand, feeling the slightly raised area where her scar was.

"I was nervous this morning too Jane. I still am nervous. Let's just take it day by day and see where we end up. Your mother took it extremely well, and I think others will follow suit. Let's just go about our business like it is a normal day, and see what happens. I don't see any reason to let this affect our work."

My pep talk seemed to calm Jane down as I could see her visibly relax some, but I was surprised to find that it calmed me down as well. I squeezed her hand for good measure and then found myself enveloped in Jane's strong arms. She kissed the top of my head.

"Thank you. That was exactly what I needed." She murmured into my hair.

"I couldn't sleep either Jane. I think its because I was missing you. I like having you sleep with me."

"Me too Maur. Let's kick some ass today and maybe we can sleep together tonight." She cleared her throat nervously when she realized how that statement sounded. "Not _sleep_ together….but actually sleep….God, you know what I mean."

Jane was cute when she was flustered. She was normally so cool, calm, and collected around me. I smiled and kissed her cheek, and she released me from her hold.

"That sounds lovely Jane. Let's go kick some ass." Her face lit up at my use of the word 'ass' and she grinned that sexy grin of hers.

We took our coffee cups and headed for the door, Jane opening it to let me out first. She headed down the stairs towards her cruiser while I locked the door behind us. Jane opened the passenger side door and waited patiently for me to make my way to the car. After I sat down and smoothed my slacks down, she shut the door gently and moved to get in the driver's side.

"Where are we headed Detective Rizzoli?" I asked, when she had backed the car out of my driveway.

"The harbor. The Coast Guard picked up a floater about a mile out."

* * *

We made our way to the end of the pier where a Coast Guard harbor patrol boat was docked. Jane flashed her badge as we approached the Coast Guard officers waiting for us.

"Detective Jane Rizzoli, Boston Homicide. What have we got?"

I had seen her flash her badge and say that line hundreds of times, but for some reason, today I found it extremely arousing. Seeing Jane in her element once again was exhilarating. I pushed that thought to the back of my mind and moved to the body bag the officer had just pointed to. Kneeling down, I slowly unzipped the bag to examine the body. My brain could only register shock as I found myself staring at the slightly bloated face of Adam Fairfield. I gasped, and my hands came away from the zipper like I had just been burned.

Jane noticed my distress immediately, coming to kneel next to me. "What is it Maura? Do you know him?" She reached out to grasp my now shaking hands.

I nodded. "Its Adam Fairfield. I used to date his brother."

Jane's jaw dropped open slightly and she let go of my hands. "Fairfield…as in the Boston Fairfield's? You used to date a Fairfield?"

I was unsure whether Jane's surprised reaction was due to the fact that Adam was a Fairfield, or the fact that I had dated his brother.

"Yes Jane, the Fairfield's are a prominent and wealthy Boston family. And yes, I dated Garrett, Adam's younger brother. We dated when we were in college at BCU."

Still shaken up a bit, I raised a hand to brush away a few stray hairs from my face. Jane must have sensed I was upset and her face softened. She leaned in to speak quietly.

"Do you want to come with me to tell the family?" She looked me directly in the eyes.

I grimaced, my jaw set in determination. "No, I don't want to…but I will. I owe them that much." I sat back on my heels and pulled the zipper back up over Adam's pale and bloated face. As I stood up, Jane's hand came to rest on the small of my back, and we walked together in silence back to her police cruiser.

* * *

Detective Frost was waiting for us when we pulled up to the Fairfield residence. He was staring longingly at a sports car, which was parked in the driveway, and most likely belonged to Garrett. He had a taste for the extravagant, even back when we dated.

Jane whistled softly as she looked at the large mansion before us, complete with a perfectly manicured lawn and landscaping. The grounds were as stunning as I remembered them from so many years ago.

"Well…I think we're not in Kansas anymore, eh Frost? This is a far cry from growing up Rizzoli style in Revere." Jane prodded Frost.

Although I was raised in a very wealthy family, even I had to admit that the Fairfield residence was a bit extravagant, and could probably be considered "showy" to some. But considering the family's role in Boston's history and how they were such a prominent family, I understood the importance of them maintaining such an appearance.

"Seriously Maura, this place is like a freaking castle. What are you doing slumming around with us? You could be a Fairfield." The way Jane said "Fairfield" made me cringe. She said it in a way that clearly displayed her disgust for the display of wealth that was so prominently in front of us.

"Yes…maybe." I replied. "But I'm not a Fairfield. And I'm not 'slumming' either. I am doing my job, which is solving murders! Which we can't very well do standing out here, can we, Jane?" I placed my hands on my hips, challenging her a bit.

Frost cleared his throat nervously and moved towards the entrance of the mansion.

"Uh, Maura's right Jane. We have a murder to solve. Let's go notify the family."

Jane's irritability seemed to grow when we entered the foyer. She scanned the room, taking in the large portraits of deceased ancestors and the other ornamental details, which decorated the richly adorned rooms.

"God…could this _be_ any more pretentious?" I heard her ask under her breath, to no one in particular. She plastered on a fake smile when a gentleman in a beautifully tailored suit approached us.

"Detective Jane Rizzoli, Boston Homicide. This is my partner Detective Barry Frost, and this is Dr. Maura Isles, Chief Medical Examiner. We would like to ask some questions about Mr. Adam Fairfield. We recovered his body this morning, and have reason to believe he may have been murdered."

The man's face registered shock, before returning to a blank stare. "We knew he was missing, but we had assumed the worst. I am the legal advisor to the Fairfield family, and we would appreciate your discretion in the investigation." He looked nervous. "Now is not the best time to question the family. Perhaps you could give us some time. We will of course cooperate fully with your requests…"

Sumner Fairfield and a woman, who I assumed to be Adam's wife, came into the sitting room. Jane's eyes narrowed and she pushed the legal advisor away and headed straight for them.

"Yeah…not how I do things. I have to speak to the family." She said over her shoulder. I shot him an apologetic look and followed hastily after her. Garrett chose that inopportune moment to enter the room, and headed straight for me.

I could feel Jane's eyes watching our every movement as Garrett pulled me into an embrace. His hands rested dangerously low on my back, almost at the top of my buttocks. He kissed me lightly on each cheek before pulling back to look at me.

"Maura…thanks for coming. We can't believe that Adam drowned." He certainly looked emotionally distraught.

I smiled weakly, albeit sympathetically, and tried to remove his hands from around my waist as graciously as possible.

"Garrett, it's been too long. I am sorry that we are meeting under these circumstances."

Jane stalked towards us, her jaw set in determination. "Garrett, do you mind if I ask some questions about Adam?"

I heard Adam's wife sniffle loudly, a pitiful sound. I put my hand on her shoulder to comfort her and looked at Jane.

"Jane, can the questions wait? They are obviously grieving. Let me do the autopsy tomorrow and then you can ask questions once they have had some time to process."

Jane shot me an icy cold look, before taking out her card and handing it to Garrett.

"We will be in touch soon. Let me know if you think of anything. Thank you for your time." She turned and stalked back down the foyer. I said my goodbyes and headed back out to the car. Jane was tapping her hands impatiently on the steering wheel as I got into the cruiser. She whipped her head to look at me when I was settled in the seat.

"Exactly whose side are you on, Maura?" She asked accusingly. She slammed the car into drive roughly.

"There aren't sides here Jane, I was just trying to do my job!"

"Funny…I thought your job was being a Medical Examiner…Not fraternizing with potential suspects." Came her sarcastic reply.

"Garrett is an old friend! I was merely trying to give him and his family the space they deserve!"

Jane was silent for several minutes. We had nearly made it back to my house and were turning onto my street when she spoke again, more quietly this time.

"Old friends don't play grab-ass Maura." She spoke bitterly. We pulled into the driveway and she put the car into park.

Unfastening my seat belt, I turned in my seat so I could face her.

"What is this really about Jane? You have been acting like a petty, jealous, child ever since you found out that I dated Garrett Fairfield." I crossed my arms and waited for her answer.

I could see a range of emotions battling for dominance on Jane's face. Anger seemed to be winning at the moment.

"Jesus…I don't know Maura. Knowing that you used to date a rich tool like that really tripped me out. You could have had it all if you had stuck with him. Why didn't you?" Her whole body seemed to slump down into the seat.

"Jane, listen to me. I broke it off with Garrett because he was extremely self-centered and was entirely too caught up with the idea of being a Fairfield. I didn't want that life. I wanted my own life. And seeing him today reminded me of why I broke it off. And reminded me of why this life is the clear choice. The _right_ choice. It allowed me to choose you, Jane."

Jane had raised her head slightly and was now looking at me intently, the anger now faded from her face.

"You are everything that Garrett is not, Jane. You are kind, giving, passionate, selfless, brave…to name a few. You never back down, always help the underdog, fight for justice day after day, and love those around you fiercely. I already feel so much more for you after a few days than I felt for Garrett after two years. You win Jane…I choose you."

Jane's arms were suddenly wrapped around my neck, and she pulled me in for a sweet kiss. I could feel the emotion and tension from the day in the way she was moving her lips against mine. I kissed her back, trying desperately to show her that she was, and would always be, my first choice. My hands clasped tightly behind her back, holding onto her with every ounce of strength I had. We broke the kiss after several blissful minutes, pulling back to meet one another's eyes.

"You're too good for me Maur…." Jane's voice cracked slightly. "I'm sorry. I was a complete ass today." She leaned in to kiss me again.

"Oh, Jane…it's okay. I'm sorry too. I shouldn't have undermined you, it wasn't my place. I let my personal relationship get in the way of the investigation."

She loosened her arms from around my neck and wound a strand of my hair around the tip of her index finger.

"So…it's only 3:47pm. Should we call it a day or head back to the precinct to work on the case?"

I thought for a moment before answering.

"Well, you said you didn't sleep well last night, and neither did I. I am going to start the autopsy first thing in the morning, so I am okay with calling it a day and starting fresh tomorrow. Do you want to stay over here tonight like we discussed earlier? You know…since we apparently can't sleep without each other anymore…" I rolled my eyes.

Jane kissed me in response, which I took as a yes.

"I may or may not have packed an overnight bag this morning." She said. "What can I say? I was hopeful." She smirked. "God…what a stressful day." She reached behind her to grab a small duffle bag.

We both got out of the car and made our way up the stairs to the front door. Jane waited patiently as I got out my house key to unlock the door. After it was open, I turned, blocking her entrance.

"You know…I can think of a few ways to relieve your stress…" I winked suggestively, almost laughing at the look that crossed her face.

Her mouth dropped open and she struggled to form a sentence.

"Uh…w-what?"

Finally, a laugh escaped before I kissed her lightly once again.

"Relax, Jane, how about a nice bubble bath?"

She was through the door in a shot, and halfway up the stairs before I heard her reply.

"Don't have to ask me twice!"


	18. Chapter 18

**Hey folks...just a quick warning that things get a little steamy in this chapter. Thanks for reading!**

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Chap. 18

It turned out that even a relaxing bubble bath was no match for the Fairfield case. The next several days were a blur, with all of us quickly becoming entangled in the drama of it all. The lies, deception, infidelity, greed, and jealousy that surrounded one of Boston's most prominent families astounded us all, and I found myself working harder than before trying to help solve the case. I had never been so invested personally in a case before, and the lines seemed to blur slightly as I tried to remain unbiased and let the scientific evidence speak for itself. Jane seemed to be struggling as well, which I attributed to her insecurities about the difference in our socio-economic status, as well as the fact that we were dealing closely with someone who I had been in a relationship with. I didn't see much of Jane for several days, and desperately missed her company at night. I tried to get her to talk about it when she came to the morgue, but she brushed me aside, saying that she was busy with the case.

I think we were all glad when the case resolved, even though it shocked me to discover that Garrett was the one who killed Adam. We were never really close, even when we were dating but I never for one second believed that he was capable of killing someone, especially a family member. Money and jealously really drove him to desperate measures, and it was truly heartbreaking to witness.

Jane had gone to take Garrett into custody and told me to wait for her in my office until she returned. I busied myself finishing up my documentation on the case and was just about finished when I heard Jane's boots on the linoleum floor outside my office. She stopped in the doorway, and leaned casually into the doorframe. I finished the sentence I was writing and looked up. She was pinching the bridge of her nose with her thumb and index finger, and looked downtrodden.

"Jane…hi." I looked at her expectantly. "Come in, sit down."

Her eyes scanned the room, as if she was trying to figure out which seating would be the least uncomfortable. She still liked to give me a hard time about the furniture, even after knowing each other for nearly a year. Instead of choosing the couch or the chair, she moved towards my desk and perched herself next to me on the desktop, her legs swinging slightly as she looked at the ground. I saved my work and shut my laptop.

"Some case huh?" Jane spoke softly. "I hate cases where family members kill family members. God, I mean…my brothers are assholes sometimes, Ma drives me crazy, and don't get me started on Pop…but I would never dream of killing them." She rubbed her hands up and down the thighs of her slacks nervously.

I turned my chair slightly so I was facing her and leaned back. She never really talked about her father, but this was certainly not the time to ask about it.

"Yes, this was a tough case. Seeing the dirty secrets of a family close to mine so out in the open was hard for me." I sighed, and shook my head. "I still can't believe Garrett killed Adam. None of the brothers seemed close when I knew them, but I never thought it would lead to this."

Jane nodded slowly. "I'm sorry this was a tough case for you. I know I wasn't making it easier for you either." She looked at me earnestly, chewing on her bottom lip. "I'm still getting used to the idea that you and I come from very different backgrounds."

"Yes…we do. But I don't understand why that is a big deal for you. It doesn't matter to me Jane."

Jane hung her head for a minute, a frown present on her face. "Yeah, well, that is easy for you to say since you are the one who is rolling in money." Her hands continued to move up and down her legs. "No offense…" Her eyes flicked up nervously before fixing her gaze on the floor once again.

I stood up and moved to stand between her legs, placing both my hands over hers on her thighs, stilling her movements. She wouldn't meet my eyes, so I bent my legs slightly, searching for her gaze until she got the hint, her eyes slowly moving upwards to meet mine. I kissed her forehead lightly, and moved my hands from her thighs to take her lightly by the shoulders.

"Jane, listen to me. I am only going to say this once. Yes, we come from very different backgrounds. But you need to stop letting that affect our relationship. While coming from a wealthy family certainly made my life easier in a lot of ways, it doesn't define me. I have made my own way in this world. My mother and father would have much preferred me to go into a different field, one that allowed the Isles name to be made more prominent. But I chose a career and a life that _I _wanted. Of course they would have liked to see Garrett and I married, but once again, I chose the partner that _I _wanted, even if I didn't realize it at first. "

Jane was still frowning slightly, wrinkles marring her normally smooth forehead. I pressed another kiss to it, watching the wrinkles ease out slowly as my lips came into contact with her skin. I could feel her shoulders slump and relax under my hands.

"Look at me Jane." Her eyes moved upwards again. "None of that matters to me...where I come from…where you come from. All that matters to me is that you are here with me right now. You love me. You want to be with me. I want to be with you. Nothing else matters Jane." I slid my hands around her lower back, pulling gently until she slid off the desk and stood in front of me.

On tiptoes, I kissed her. Her arms came around my waist, and I could feel her exhale through her nose, almost in relief, maybe defeat. She responded to the kiss, which quickly turned from an emotional one to one of urgency and desperation. My hands moved under her jacket and under her dress shirt, seeking out that smooth skin on her hips. Without warning, she spun us around, reversing our positions, and she shrugged her jacket off. Pushing me back slightly, Her hands slid down over my backside, pausing to cup it briefly before sliding lower to lift me up and sit me on the desk. Her lips continued to move against mine, getting progressively sloppier as the passion seemed to grow exponentially with each second that passed. God…Jane was so good at this. I never wanted her to stop.

She pulled away suddenly, leaving us both breathing heavily. I would be lying if I said I wasn't aroused, and I certainly wasn't ready for this to be over. I pulled her in roughly for another kiss, and my body seemed to take over, with my legs coming up to wrap tightly around her slim waist. Somehow I managed to push my laptop and paperwork to the other side of the desk without breaking the kiss, and I lied back on the desk, kicking off my heels and pulling her on top of me. We both moaned as she settled down on top of me, her hands coming up to tangle themselves in my hair. She shifted slightly, so her full body weight wasn't on top of me. My lips moved towards newer territory, kissing hungrily down her neck towards her chest. Groaning, she arched that elegantly long neck back, allowing me access to more of her soft skin.

My hands fumbled with the top few buttons on her shirt. After releasing them, I pushed her shirt open to reveal more of her skin and those exquisitely prominent collar bones. Unable to control myself, my tongue danced lightly across each of them, leaving behind a wet trail. Goosebumps appeared on Jane's skin, and I could feel her shudder, obviously enjoying the sensation.

"Jane….I…I can't stop. You…your body is intoxicating. So gorgeous…" I managed to gasp out, kissing back up her neck once again, before capturing her lips once again in another heated kiss.

She untangled her hands from my hair and began to un-tuck my blouse from my skirt, long fingers grabbing at fabric in desperation. Her lips danced sensually down my jaw line and onto my neck, and I gasped at the delicious sensation of her warm breath on my neck. Her fingers worked the buttons free on my shirt one by one, and my shirt fell open, exposing my breasts and abdomen to the cool air. Before I could adjust to the sensation, Jane's mouth moved lower, now kissing the exposed skin of my stomach. Her index finger traced tantalizingly around my navel, before her tongue followed suit. It felt so good, and my arm jerked out spastically in response to the pleasurable feelings Jane was creating with her tongue, knocking a couple of medical journals off my desk.

The loud _thunk _of the books hitting the floor startled Jane, and she slid off me and off of the desk in a flash. She looked around wildly at our surroundings, her hands flying up to tame her hair unsuccessfully. Her suit jacket was lying in a pile on the floor, discarded in our moment of passion. The top of her shirt hung open, still displaying a large area of her beautifully tanned skin. She flopped down in my desk chair and took a deep breath, trying to regulate her erratic breathing.

Trying to quell the arousal coursing through my body, and trying to calm my breathing as well, I struggled to sit up on the desk. My shirt hung open and I pulled my skirt back down, as it had somehow ridden up in the heat of the moment. I began to button my shirt and put myself back together. Sliding off the desk, I located my heels and put them back on, one by one. I glanced up to see Jane buttoning up her shirt as well, then bending to pick up her suit jacket.

"Wha…what just happened there Maur?" Jane's voice was low and gravelly. "Not that I wasn't enjoying it…" She added quickly.

I smoothed down my skirt again, even though I knew it wouldn't help with the wrinkles that were now present.

"I'm not sure Jane, but I think we almost just had sex." I couldn't bring myself to look her in the eye. "_And almost on my desk_!" I whispered fiercely, still not believing what had just happened. "I don't know what came over me…but Jane, I _wanted_ it."

Her eyes shut for a moment. "I wanted it too Maura." She admitted. "But, not like this…not here. Our first time shouldn't be a quickie in your office." Her eyes opened again, looking clearer and more focused.

Even though my body was telling me otherwise, still fighting the arousal that had built up over the past several minutes, my brain was telling me that Jane was right. And I was immediately glad that things hadn't progressed further. Moving to stand next to Jane, I smoothed down her hair before kissing her lightly on the cheek.

"I couldn't agree more. Even though I am extremely aroused right now, and I seem to be ready to consummate our relationship, let's take a rain bill on this." I smiled.

Jane rolled her eyes and pulled a face. "The expression is rain _check_ Maura. And who says 'consummate our relationship' anymore? What are you…90 years old? Gross. Come on, let's get out of here."

We cleaned up my disheveled desk and tried to make ourselves as presentable as possible, before heading towards the parking garage. Jane held my hand as we made our way through the corridor. We waited in silence for the elevator. As the elevator descended to the parking level, Jane spoke again.

"What are you doing tomorrow night Maura?"

"I don't have any plans. Why?"

The elevator doors opened and we made our way across the concrete to where my car was parked, my heels echoing loudly off the walls.

Jane's arm came up and rested across my shoulders, pulling me in slightly towards her side. She kissed my temple as we stopped in front of my car.

"Because I want to take you out. Like…on a date." She pulled me in a little tighter, and I relaxed against her shoulder.

"Oh. Yes, I would like that." A smile spread across my face.

"Good. If I pick you up at eight, is that okay? Oh, and wear something casual. That means jeans and a sweatshirt Maura. And no heels." I looked up to see her eyes twinkling suspiciously.

"Yes, eight is okay. Although for the record, I do have several pairs of heels I consider to be casual heels…" I poked her stomach playfully. "You want to stay over tonight?" I looked up at her hopefully.

Jane thought for a minute before letting out a deep breath.

"I would love to Maur, but I think what happened back there in your office shows me I need to go home and cool off a bit. I don't think I could be trusted to sleep in the same bed as you tonight…" She said.

I frowned even though she was definitely right. Jane pulled me in to her front in a hug, and placed a kiss on the top of my head. "You look cute when you're disappointed." She chuckled, releasing me. "Good night Maura. I will see you in the morning."

"Good night Jane. Sweet dreams."

"Oh…you can bet on it." She smirked.


	19. Chapter 19

**Soooo...man, y'all just really want them to have sex, huh? Reading your comments made me laugh because you basically said you just want them to hook up already. Be patient...we are getting there. I am trying to do this whole thing with some character development and a plot and such. Too often these stories get into sex and then there is nothing else. Stick with me though...we are getting there. Hopefully you are still enjoying this! **

* * *

Ch. 19

Sleep was hard to come by for me. The stress of the week had burnt me out to the point of over-exhaustion, and I was still worked up thinking about what had happened in my office. I tried to sleep, but ended up staring at the ceiling for some time instead. After a while, I gave up, and moved downstairs to the couch to try and see if a change of scenery would help me fall asleep.

I settled in on the couch, with a recent issue of the New England Journal of Medicine in hand. I only got a few pages into an article on treatment for Hepatitis C before I put it down, my thoughts moving to the date that Jane had planned for us. To be honest, I was a little nervous, even thought I couldn't pinpoint exactly why. Jane and I had been out together many times before, both with and without other people. But this would be our first official date as a couple. My stomach fluttered at the thought, and then I realized that I wasn't nervous so much as excited. I was honestly looking forward to spending time with Jane. As a couple, we had only spent time either at my house or at work, and it would be nice to get out and do something together.

Placing down the medical journal, I snuggled into the couch and pulled the throw blanket over me. My eyes closed and I started to drift off, picturing different scenarios and potential dates that we could go on. In my half-asleep state, my mind wandered again to what had played out in my office earlier between Jane and I. It was becoming increasingly harder to stop myself from thinking about sex, especially sex with Jane. Just one week ago, I was terrified at the thought of having a more physical relationship, but now it seemed like the next logical step in our relationship. We were both consenting, mature, adults in our sexual prime, who were in a monogamous relationship. Even though I was sure our sex would have been extremely satisfying for both of us, had we continued earlier, I was honestly glad that cooler heads had prevailed. I wanted to be able to take my time with it, and to not have to worry about being discovered or rushed because of the location. And when I really thought about it, it would be my first time with a woman…something that would be new and different, and would likely require a bit of a learning curve.

Shivering a bit at the thought of us lying naked in bed together, I tried my best to shake the image out of my head and quiet my thoughts once again. I eventually dozed off, only to be woken a few hours later by the alarm on my cell phone. It was still dark, but I stretched my body out on the couch for a minute or two, and then got up to start my day.

My phone went off again just a few moments into my morning yoga session. I picked up quickly, assuming it was headquarters calling to inform me about a body.

"Hello? This is Doctor Isles." I answered in my standard work response.

"Good morning, this is Detective Rizzoli." I smiled at the sound of Jane's voice. "My, you are very formal this morning Maura." She teased.

"I didn't know it was you! I didn't check the caller ID, I just picked up. It is early so I just assumed it was work." I switched the phone to speaker and moved back into Warrior pose. "To what do I owe the pleasure of an early morning phone call from Jane Rizzoli?" I asked.

"Well….two things really." She replied. "First, I just wanted to call and tell you that I am really excited for tonight. I think you will really like what I have in store for us."

"Oh? And what exactly do you have in store Jane?"

"Nuh-uh…I'm not giving you any hints. You will just have to wait and see." She replied smugly.

I moved slowly into Tree pose, enjoying the feel of my muscles working to maintain the position. "I'm looking forward to it Jane. Even if you won't give me any hints…"

She laughed, clearly loving the fact that she was keeping me in the dark about the details.

"What else were you calling about Jane?"

"Oh…yeah…we have a body. Just when I was hoping for a low-key weekend too. You in?"

I sighed. It looked like my yoga was going to be cut short, and I never really liked altering my morning routine. "Yes Jane. Text me the address and I will meet you there."

"Gotcha. See you in a bit."

* * *

The rest of the day was a blur. I started the autopsy on the body as soon as we were back at headquarters, and spent most of the day in the morgue. Jane must have been busy starting to put together a case with Frost, since she didn't come down to the morgue once. I had just started to tie the last line of sutures on the y-incision when my phone alarm went off, signifying it was time for me to head home and get ready for the mystery date. Finishing quickly, I peeled off my latex gloves and headed to grab my things to head home.

True to her word, Jane was knocking on my door at precisely 8pm. True to my word, I was dressed casually, in jeans and one of Jane's BPD sweatshirts that had somehow made its way into my dresser. I had to fight the urge to wear my favorite pair of heels, but eventually settled on a pair of ballet flats. I grabbed my bag and opened the door. Jane was standing on the front step, rubbing her hands distractedly, bouncing up and down slightly on the balls of her feet. Her eyes lit up as I came out, and she gave me a quick kiss on the cheek in greeting.

"You ready?" She reached out her hand, which I grabbed without hesitation.

I already loved the way my hand felt in hers. I smiled warmly at her and nodded. "Yes…lead the way."

We chatted about the case in the car for a bit, mostly about my findings from the autopsy. Before I knew it, Jane had pulled into a parking lot. It was dark, but when I got out of the car I could smell the saltiness of the ocean, and upon further examination, it became clear that we were on a pier. Jane opened the trunk and pulled out a large tote bag, a cooler, and a backpack. She looked around for a minute, before waving at someone further down the pier. She grabbed my hand again and we walked down the wooden pier towards a boat that was docked at the end.

A man was stooped over, loosening one of the lines from the cleat attached to the dock. He straightened up as we approached, and nodded to Jane in greeting.

"Hey Rizzoli! Looking hot as usual." He looked us both up and down and flashed a handsome grin at us.

Jane rolled her eyes. "Yeah yeah…I know. Take it easy G." Dropping the bags and the cooler into the boat she gestured at me. "Giovanni, this is my girlfriend Maura. Maura, this is Giovanni. We went to high school together."

I extended my hand in greeting. "It's a pleasure to meet you, Giovanni."

He grasped my hand in his, giving it a hearty shake. "Yeah, you too Maura." He looked over his shoulder at Jane, who had jumped into the boat. "Good for you Rizzoli. She's wicked hot….who'da thunk it…Rizzoli lands herself a sexy doctor..." Shaking his head, he jumped down into the boat as well and began to loosen the ropes tethering the boat to the pier.

Jane reached out her hand to help me into the boat. "You are quite the catch if I do say so myself." She whispered conspiratorially in my ear. "I still can't figure out how I got so lucky." She helped me to a seat in the cabin of the boat. "Take it away Captain G!" She called. "And don't forget to keep your hands to yourself."

Laughing, Giovanni pushed us away from the dock and backed the boat slowly out of the slip. Increasing the engines, we were soon on our way, the twinkling lights of the Boston skyline a beautiful backdrop as we made our way out into the harbor. Planes coming in to land at Logan passed overhead. Jane sat down beside me and wrapped her arm around my shoulder. I snuggled against her, relishing her body heat as the cool night air whipped around us.

"_Now_ are you going to tell me where we are going?" I really was curious at this point.

A smile played at the corner of her mouth. "Man, you _really_ don't like surprises, huh? Well…I will stop keeping you in suspense. We are going to George's Island."

"Where?" I had never heard of such a place before, even after living here for a number of years.

"George's Island. It's an island located just outside the harbor. It has an old fort built during the Civil War on it, and is a fun place to explore. I haven't been here at night obviously, but Pop used to take us here each summer and just let us run wild. Ma packed us some food in case we get hungry." She pointed to the cooler on the deck. "Its not super romantic I guess…but I thought you would maybe appreciate the history behind it or whatever…" She trailed off.

This was certainly a first-of-a-kind for me. Usually men just tried to wine and dine me on the first date. I had just assumed we were going to cruise around the harbor in the boat, but was excited to learn that we were actually going somewhere.

I reached my hand up to pull her in by her sweatshirt gently. After kissing her lightly on the lips, I wrapped my arm around her waist. "Sounds perfect, Jane. I can't wait to explore it with you."

The city grew smaller as we passed some of the inner harbor islands, moving further out to sea. After about a half an hour, we pulled up at a dock, and Giovanni hopped out nimbly to tether us to it. He held his hand out and helped me out of the boat. Jane passed me the cooler and stepped onto the dock, the other bags in her hand.

"Thanks G. We will meet you back here in two hours, okay?" She rummaged around in the backpack before locating a slightly crumpled paper bag, which she held up to Giovanni. "Here….Ma made some cannoli. I brought you some as a thank-you."

Giovanni's eyes lit up as he grabbed the bag. "Yes! Mrs. Rizz makes the best cannoli!" He hopped back into the boat and stretched out on one of the seats. He opened the bag and took a large bite out of the dessert. "I'll just be here…you kids have fun." He spoke through a large mouthful of cannoli and winked at Jane.

Jane took my hand and we moved down the dock and onto the island. It was hard to make out in the dark, but large, stone, walls loomed in front of us, obviously the outer walls of a fort.

"Here." Jane passed me a flashlight and pointed towards a large sign several feet in front of us. Flicking on the light, I scanned the sign. _Fort Warren -1850_ - the sign read. Pointing the light in front of us to illuminate our path, we moved through the gate, entering the interior of the fortress. A large open space greeted us, likely the parade ground from when the fort was in use. The large walls blocked out the noise from the ocean, and it was perfectly quiet. Jane stopped when we were in the middle, and put her things down. She pulled out a large blanket and spread it out on the grass. She set the cooler down on the corner of the blanket, sliding open the cover, and then produced a bottle of wine and two glasses from the tote bag.

"Take a load off." She sat down, crossing her long legs indian-style beneath her.

I was impressed with her preparation. I sat down and scooted next to her, moving to open the bottle of wine. While I poured us glasses of wine, she pulled out some containers from the cooler. Opening them, she passed me a fork.

"This is the one time I let my Ma help me with a date, and I have to say, she outdid herself." She chuckled. "I told her we just needed some snacks and she packs us a three-course meal. Its all a little cold, but we've got Eggplant Parm, an antipasto, and of course her famous gnocchi. Dig in. Tonight we dine al-fresco." She grinned.

Something about the cool seabreeze and night air made the food taste absolutely delicious. We savored each bite, taking our time and working through each dish, washing it down with sips of our wine. Our bellies full, we collapsed on the blanket afterwards. Jane produced another blanket, and she pulled me in close to herself, spreading the blanket over us to keep us warm. Her hands wrapped protectively around my waist and her chin rested on the top of my head. I could feel her sigh and relax as we both melted into the embrace. The tall stone walls of the fort blocked out the extraneous light, and we were able to see the stars above us, twinkling away in the dark night sky.

"This is perfect Jane. Really." I snuggled closer into her chest. "This might be the best first date I have ever had."

"Mhmm? Well, really, what's not to like? Good food, good wine, beautiful and private space, beautiful woman lying by my side. Yeah….I did pretty good, didn't I?"

I could tell she was smiling.

"Yes, I would say you did excellently Jane. Although you are setting the bar very high for future dates." I teased gently.

Jane chucked softly, her laughter rumbling lightly against my chest. Her movements stilled after a few seconds.

"This feels pretty damn good, doesn't it? Lying here together?" She asked.

It did. I had never felt this overwhelming sense of peace with anyone else before. I nodded against her chest.

"It feels like the most logical thing in the world." I admitted. "I don't know why I didn't realize this sooner. I have been blind for the past few months to what has been developing between us. We could have been together months ago, really. I can't believe I wasted so much time." I said wistfully.

"S'okay. I was too scared to tell you how I felt because I didn't want to lose you, so I wasted time too." She murmured into my hair. Sliding down so we were face-to-face, she kissed me gently. "But we have time now. All the time in the world." Her hand came out from under the blanket and she stroked a finger down my cheek lovingly.

I leaned in to kiss her again, savoring the faint taste of wine still on her lips. "I love you Jane." I whispered, as we broke apart.

Jane smiled and closed her eyes for a second. When they opened, those deep brown eyes that I loved so much shone with love and tenderness. "I love you too Maur. So much."

Our lips met once again, in a slow, sensuous, kiss that made my stomach flutter.

We stayed entwined in each other for the rest our time on the island, Jane's phone alarm eventually jarring us out of our reverie. We packed up our things and headed back out towards the pier where Giovanni was waiting for us. As we pulled away from the pier I watched the fortress walls get smaller before a thought came into my head. I turned to Jane, who was curled up next to me.

"We didn't explore at all Jane! Isn't that what you wanted to do?"

"It's okay Maur….we did exactly what we needed to. We can come back some other time." She squeezed my hand reassuringly. "Maybe we can bring our kids here…" She grinned at me.

I closed my eyes and pictured Jane walking around the island, a small dark-haired child sitting on her shoulders. I couldn't stop myself from smiling.

"I'd like that Jane."


	20. Chapter 20

**This chapter is rated M for sex. You have been warned. Also, just FYI all sex from here on out will be implied, so if you are reading this and hoping that this is going to turn into a smut-fest, you will be sadly disappointed ;) 5 or so more chapters in this one, and maybe an epilogue if people want one. Thanks for reading. **

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Ch. 20

We had both nodded off in the back of the boat. Giovanni's boat jarred slightly as it came into contact with the pier, stirring me out of my slumber. Struggling to make sense of my surroundings, I looked around before realizing we were back at the pier we had started from. Jane was still curled up next to me, our hands still linked together.

"Okay kids, we're here! Everybody out!" Giovanni was standing on the pier grinning down at both of us.

I squeezed Jane's hand lightly and bent down to whisper softly in her ear. "Jane….honey...time to wake up." I smoothed down her dark hair gently.

Her eyes opened slowly, looking around before focusing on my face. "Hi."- She said sleepily. She rubbed her eyes as she sat up, then stretched her arms above her head and stretched her back and arms out for several seconds. "I guess I dozed off, huh?" She slid up the sleeve of her sweatshirt to see what time it was. "Wow…12:34am?!"

I picked up the tote bag from the deck, suddenly feeling reinvigorated despite the late hour. "I dozed off too. Although, I don't know if it is the short nap or the cool ocean air, but I am wide awake now."

Jane gathered up her backpack and the cooler and stood to get out of the boat, bending slightly as she placed one leg on the edge of the boat. My eyes wandered, admiring her firm buttocks, clad in jeans that hugged her in the all the right places, and sparked a shiver of arousal. Once she was firmly on dry land, she reached back and helped me out. After I stepped out of the boat. I shook my head imperceptibly, trying to push aside the sudden onset of sexual thoughts that were now spinning through my head. Jane thanked Giovanni for everything, and turned back to me with an outstretched hand.

"Ready to head home?"

I nodded. "Yes…but, Jane?" – my head tilted to the side slightly- "I find that I am wide awake and not ready to sleep just yet. I think I have an idea of an activity we could do to tire me out…" I said, as seductively as I could manage, my eyes meeting hers. I was feeling bolder by the second, and my body was betraying me, with excitement and arousal beginning to take over.

Jane's eyebrows moved upwards briefly, before a slow flush crept across her face. She grinned at me with that trademark grin I loved so much. "Yeah, I can think of several things we could do, and none of them involve sleeping." Her voice was low and raspy with sleep still, and she had never sounded sexier. "Your place or mine?"

"Whichever is closer Jane…take me home."

Jane let out a bark of laughter, her arm coming around my shoulders as we walked towards her car. "I like the way you think, Maur. Your place it is."

As we reached the car, Giovanni's voice rang out from further down the pier. "Yeah Rizzoli! Get some!" Even from our distance, we could see him holding both thumbs up in encouragement. Jane snorted back her laughter and rolled her eyes, before moving to open my door for me.

"Man, that guy is a piece of work." She said, turning the keys in the ignition. Chuckling again, she put the car in drive, and placed her hand on the console between us. My body seemed to be humming with anticipation, and I reached out my hand to cover hers.

* * *

It may have just been a coincidence, but Jane seemed to drive a little faster than she usually did on the way back. Even so, it didn't seem like we could get back to my house fast enough. There was a nervous energy filling the car, almost palpable as we sat in relative silence. Jane's thumb tapped a random beat on the steering wheel as she drove, likely a manifestation of her nervous energy.

We arrived back at my house shortly. Jane shut the car off and we both moved to get out of the car. Jane made her way to the trunk of the car, and began to open it. I reached my hand out and shut it swiftly. She looked at me questioningly.

"Leave it. Take me to bed Jane." I held my hand out to her.

Jane ignored my offered hand, instead pulling me into a fierce kiss, her hands clutching the front of my sweatshirt. She pulled back, gazing intently at me, her eyes expressive and sparkling. She cupped my cheek with a warm hand, smiling. "I thought you'd never ask."

Hand in hand, we made our way up the stairs and to the front door. Shoes were kicked off hastily as soon as we entered the dark house. I didn't even bother to turn on lights as we stumbled through the darkness towards the stairs. Jane swore loudly as she stubbed her toe on the bottom stair, then laughed as we half climbed, half limped the rest of the way up the stairs. Strong arms wrapped around me from behind once we were at the top, and I could feel Jane sweep away hair from my neck as she began to press kisses along the back of my neck as we walked the final few feet to my bedroom.

"Lights on or off?" I whispered.

Jane's lips had moved to the sensitive spot behind my ear, her breath was warm on my skin as she responded. "Off. Everything off." Her hands moved to my waist, grasping the waistband of the sweatshirt. Pulling lightly, she tugged it up and over my head, tossing it onto a nearby chair. Without missing a beat, she repeated the process, quickly shedding her own sweatshirt and then her tank top.

As stunning as she looked standing there in her bra and jeans, I had seen her naked a few days ago, and I knew that I wanted her naked, and as quickly as possible. I wanted to see every inch of her, kiss every inch, touch every inch, to make her feel my love. Licking my lips, I pressed my body up against her and kissed her with all the passion I could muster. When breathing became a necessity, we broke apart, her hands moving to the buttons on my top. She worked each button open, kissing each new area of skin that presented itself. Once my shirt was open, she slid it off my shoulders, placing a kiss on each freckled shoulder. Our lips met again, and our growing need quickly became apparent as our tongues swirled together, hands roving over exposed skin.

As if in unison, our hands traveled downwards, moving to the tops of our jeans. We both unbuttoned our pants and zippers slid down. I watched Jane bend down to slide the denim off her long legs. While bent down, she reached for my jeans and slid them down as well. I kicked my legs, trying to rid myself of the offending fabric as quickly as possible. Once free of my jeans, I moved to lie on the bed, pulling Jane down gently beside me. We wiggled our way up towards the head of the bed and pulled each other close. I could feel Jane's heart beating against my chest.

"Hi." She whispered, her eyes locked on mine. Her hand stroked my hair softly.

"Hi yourself." I whispered back, kissing her in the process. "You're beautiful."

Jane's hand slid slowly down my back, stopping to unhook my bra. Her finger traced a random pattern on the bare skin beneath the now-unclasped bra for several seconds, before she removed the garment entirely. The cool air caused my nipples to harden instantly, and Jane licked her lips at the response. She ran the palm of her hand lightly over the taut skin, causing me to gasp and arch upwards in response to the new sensation. Seconds later, I was moaning lightly, as Jane captured one nipple in her mouth, rolling the other gently between her thumb and index finger. Her touch was gentle, but extremely stimulating, and I could feel a familiar warmth between my legs, growing more intense with each passing moment. My hands reached out to fumble with the clasp on her bra, wanting to provide her pleasure as well. I wanted us to do this together.

"Jane…"- I gasped out, breathless-"I want us to do this together…"

Nodding, she reached back to help remove her bra, tossing the garment unceremoniously over her shoulder and onto the floor. I reached out to cup her now exposed breasts, kneading them softly and rubbing my thumbs across her nipples. She groaned and kissed me feverishly, biting down on my lower lip as I gently pinched each nipple. Her hands moved across my ribs and down to my lower back, dipping underneath the waistband of my underwear to grasp my buttocks roughly. Pulling me in closer, she kissed her way down my neck towards my breasts. One of her hands slid from its position on my backside towards my front, eventually stopping to cup the area where I needed her the most.

"Jane…" I moaned, my head falling back against the pillows. "Jane, wait! My underwear….off, please!" I was finding it particularly hard to form complete sentences at the moment.

She complied, her long fingers sliding under the elastic and moving the lace underwear slowly down my legs. I kicked them off once they were down, and reached out to do the same for her, finding her hands already moving her underwear down and off her as well.

Jane propped herself up on one elbow and stroked my cheek lovingly. "I love you Maura. Together?"

Her fingers danced slowly down my skin, lower and lower, causing me to shudder with anticipation. Pausing to swirl her index finger lightly around my navel, she lowered herself back down onto the bed and moved even lower, her fingernails raking the sensitive skin on my lower abdomen. I arched upwards automatically, breathing in sharply when her fingers finally reached their destination, first grazing, then teasing a particularly sensitive spot. Moaning at the feeling of Jane's fingers stroking gently in slow circles, I tried to focus and snaked my hand between us, first feeling neatly trimmed coarse hair, then warmth and wetness. I mirrored Jane's actions, slowly moving my fingers, eliciting a long drawn-out moan from Jane, and she shifted to allow me better access.

We moved in tandem, our arousal quickly turning to desperation, our fingers moving faster. Hips began to move rhythmically in time, seeking to create extra friction in the ever-increasing wetness. Our lips crashed together, desperate and hungry. We were close. I could feel a drop of sweat trickling down my neck.

Desperate for my own release, I slipped a finger inside Jane, hearing her gasp softly at the intrusion. Moving slowly, I looked up to see her head thrown back in ecstasy, exposing her neck. Taking advantage of the exposed skin, I kissed and nipped my way down her neck, while still moving my finger slowly in and out, then adding a second finger. Jane's head tipped back towards me, her chest now heaving. Her eyes were dark as she kissed me, growling slightly as she slid two fingers into me. My hips started to move in time with her fingers, my pleasure building with each thrust.

"Oh God, Jane…I'm close!" I cried out frantically. My legs were starting to shake and my eyes rolled back in my head as Jane added her thumb to the mix, stroking over my clitoris.

"Me…too…." Jane grunted, straining from the effort of her thrusts. "Shit! Maura, I'm coming!" Her eyes shut tightly, and I could feel her coming undone around my fingers. Her eyes snapped back open, locking on mine, and she continued to rock her hips as she silently rode out her orgasm. Her hand never stopped moving within me, and with one final stroke, I followed her over the edge, moaning her name loudly in the throes of my orgasm. Jane pressed her lips to mine, silencing my cries with a heated kiss. She continued to move gently inside me as I shuddered one final time, and slipping my fingers from inside her, rolled onto my back. Jane's fingers moved lazily for a few more minutes, before an overwhelming sense of emptiness hit me as she extricated herself. Wiping her fingers lightly on my thigh, she sighed softly and kissed me on the cheek.

"Two hours ago I didn't think it was possible to love you more, but it turns out it is." She picked up my hand that had settled limply across my stomach and kissed it gently. "I fall more and more in love with you every second Maura Isles."

Tears began to form in my eyes at the overwhelming emotions that I was experiencing. The sight of Jane, naked, with her hair splayed out over her pillow, looking up at me with love was truly overwhelming. A tear slipped down my cheek as I kissed her deeply.

"I love you too Jane. Thank you for sharing this night with me…all of it."

Jane pulled the down comforter over us and we snuggled in together. Her arms wrapped around my waist, and I could feel her thumbs moving slowly on my lower back.

"Are you on call this weekend Jane?"

"No…why?"

"Because while our activities have finally rendered me exhausted, I think we have some more 'exploring' to do in the bedroom." I snuggled my head against Jane's chest. "You are staying, right?"

She kissed the top of my head before responding. "I couldn't leave, even if I tried, Maura." She whispered.


	21. Chapter 21

**Are people still reading this? Sorry it took so long for me to update. I have had 2 business trips in the past couple weeks and was in NYC for this past weekend. So life has been busy. On a good note, I am unemployed as of Friday, so I should have plenty of time to write... ;) Anyways, let me know if you are all still into this, and sorry, but this is a bit of a cliffhanger. **

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Ch. 21

The sensation of cool air hitting my skin brought me out of sleep. Opening one eye to glimpse quickly at the digital clock, I closed my eye, shivered, and rolled back over, my arms reaching out blindly to search for Jane's familiar warmth. We had been dating for several months, and now that we were into the early stages of winter, I was thoroughly enjoying the benefits of waking up next to her and settling in together to keep warm. But instead of finding Jane's smooth, warm skin, my hands touched silk sheets, still slightly warm in the space that Jane had recently occupied. Hearing the telltale sound of the toilet flushing in my bathroom, I opened my eyes and briefly caught a glimpse of Jane's naked body before she pulled back the covers and slid quickly under their warmth. I gasped, feeling her cool skin against me, as she pulled me close, her long arms wrapping around my waist.

"Sorry" –she murmured – "I didn't mean to wake you…had to pee…go back to sleep." She kissed my cheek softly before nuzzling her face into the nape of my neck.

"S'okay" I mumbled softly in reply, shifting so that I could wrap my arms around her as well. We settled in holding each other, and dozed for a couple more hours, eventually waking when the alarm clock blared at 7:00am. I heard Jane grumbling as she reached out to smack the alarm into submission, and she pulled the covers tightly around us as she settled back into my embrace once again.

"It's cold." She grumbled, a faint frown present on her face. After dating Jane for the past few months and waking up in the same bed most mornings, I had quickly come to realize that she was not a morning person.

"It's winter Jane." I smiled, kissing her lightly on the forehead. "And good morning to you too."

"Thank you, Captain Obvious." She replied in her trademark sarcasm, rolling her eyes in the process. Her face softened and she smiled, her eyes glinting mischievously. "I guess I shouldn't complain when I wake up to the most beautiful woman in my bed." She craned her neck and kissed me tenderly. "Sweet dreams?"

Her seemingly innocuous question caught me off guard. I paused, biting my lip, unsure of how to respond. The truth was, for the past several weeks I had been having a series of recurring dreams, in which Jane usually ended up dead. At first, I had simply attributed them to the seemingly endless string of difficult cases that had been taking a toll on all of us. But as they continued almost every night, I had recently realized they were a manifestation of me coming to terms with the harsh realities of me dating Jane. Obviously, I had worried for her safety numerous times before we started our relationship, but our emotional attachment had grown exponentially in the recent weeks and months, and to be honest, I worried about her safety constantly, significantly more than I would ever let her know. When "cop shot" calls came in now, however infrequent, they hit home for me. I sincerely hoped I would never have to be in a situation where I would find out that it was Jane who was shot.

I didn't really want to admit to Jane what was going on internally, but I knew I couldn't lie about it either. I decided evasive action was the best tactic, and shifted to straddle Jane, taking her by surprise when I pinned her arms over her head and leaned down to kiss her fiercely. I pulled back after several seconds, releasing her hands, but remained seated atop her abdomen. Jane's eyes were closed for a few seconds, but when they opened, I could see a familiar intensity, and knew I had opened up a can of worms. Her eyes traveled downward over my naked breasts and abdomen, and her hands came up to rest on my upper thigh. She licked her lips and pulled me in for another heated kiss.

"Jane…we can't." I managed to get out between increasingly desperate kisses. "We need to get ready for work."

She pulled back for a moment, shifting us so she was leaning against the headboard. She was quiet for a moment before I noticed her hands had somehow made their way to my breasts, and were gently caressing them.

"I have an idea…" She grinned. "How about shower sex? You know…two birds, one stone?" She wiggled her eyebrows suggestively.

I laughed, sliding off of her and making my way towards the bathroom, turning on the shower to heat up.

"When did my girlfriend become so logical?" I asked coyly, turning around in the bathroom doorway and raising my index finger to beckon Jane. "I must be rubbing off on her or something…"

Jane didn't hesitate, jumping out of bed and pulling me into the shower with her.

"I'm so logical, I'm a freaking genius." She smirked. "Now…less talking, more sex. We all know how Dr. Isles likes to be punctual…"

* * *

We somehow managed to finish our shower and our "extra-curricular activities", emerging from the shower, both of us sated and clean. I had moved to the closet to pick out an outfit and Jane was toweling off in the bedroom when her phone rang. I heard her answer with her usual "Rizzoli" and after picking out the perfect pair of stilettos to match my outfit, I peeked my head out of the closet to see if we were being called to a crime scene. I was shocked to see Jane hunched over on the edge of the bed, her head in her hands, obviously in some sort of distress.

"Jane, what's wrong?" I asked. "Who was on the phone?" I sat down beside her on the bed.

She raised her head. "We got a cop shot. It's Danny." Tears formed in her eyes. "He was in my class at the Academy."

I pulled her closer and wrapped my arm around her waist. She reached up to brush away the tears that were threatening to fall. "He was a good guy…a great cop. I can't believe he's gone." She took in a shuddering breath before releasing it slowly.

I pressed a reassuring kiss to her shoulder. "I'm sorry Jane. Is there anything I can do?"

She wiped the tears away once more before shaking her head. She stood up and began to get dressed. "Let's just do our job Maur. That's all we can do…figure out which son-of-a-bitch killed Danny."

* * *

The atmosphere was grim at the crime scene. I had never before seen so many officers and detectives working in one area. Even Lieutenant Cavanaugh was there, directing people around and briefing the officers on what he knew so far. Jane and Korsak were visibly upset by the situation, and both were struggling to maintain their composure as I examined the body. Cause of death seemed fairly obvious, as a large bullet hole gaped on Danny's forehead. Besides a small patch of hair missing from his chest, I didn't note anything out of the ordinary at the scene. Jane and Korsak were busy consoling Danny's partner, Bobby, so at the request of Lieutenant Cavanaugh, I finished my cursory examination and prepared to head back to headquarters to begin the autopsy.

I arrived back at headquarters, which was eerily quiet, as most personnel had been called to the crime scene to help out, and headed to my office to officially dictate my notes on my findings at the crime scene. My phone buzzed as I entered the elevator, and I opened the text message from Jane.

_On our way back with Bobby. Gonna talk to him for a while, he's pretty rattled. Call me if you find anything – J_

I texted her back once I was in my office.

_Will do. Still waiting on the body to be delivered to the morgue. I am here if you need to talk. I love you. –M_

I worked on the paperwork for a while in my office, finishing my documentation within an hour. There seemed to be a delay in the body being delivered, so I moved to the morgue to begin setting up my instrument trays for the autopsy. I figured I could start right away once Danny's body arrived. I knew there were a lot of people who were going to want to know my findings as soon as possible, so being prepared couldn't hurt.

Suddenly, the room went dark. After a few seconds, the emergency lights came on, casting an eerie red light around the room. My eyes took several moments to adjust, and I accidentally knocked a tray of instruments to the ground, their loud clatter echoing off the morgue walls. I bent down to pick them up.

I was picking up the last of the instruments when I heard a doorway down the hall thrown open. Loud footsteps thumped in the empty hallway, and I could hear a few different voices coming towards me.

"Evidence lockers. Right there." A male voice said. "Open it! Now!"

A loud shot rang out, and I immediately dropped the rest of the way to the cold tile floor, pressing myself as flat as I could.

"Dammit! It's not there!" The same voice said. "Where the hell is it?"

Two more shots rang out, and I pressed my hands against my ears, fear beginning to set in.

"Dammit! Back upstairs! It's gotta be around here somewhere!" The man was yelling now, obviously angry at not locating whatever he was looking for.

I stayed on the floor for several moments, listening to the footsteps move away down the hall, and not wanting to move until I was sure whoever it was had left. My heart was pounding as I sat up, and moving into a crouching position, I reached up to grab at the phone on my desk. Panic set in as I soon realized the phone lines were dead, and I sat back down on the floor to try and think logically about how to proceed. My thoughts immediately flew to Jane, who was likely in the building. Trying to calm myself, I took a few deep breaths and got to my feet.

As soon as I had stood, I heard the door down the hallway open once again. My heart raced once again as I quickly hit the floor to hide under my desk. Loud footsteps came closer and closer, and my heart felt like it was going to beat out of my chest. Through the small gap between my desk and the floor, I watched as the doors to the morgue swung open slowly.

"Maura? Are you in here?" A familiar voice whispered loudly.

Jane.

I slid out from under the desk to see Jane in the doorway, with Frankie propped up in her arms. The grimace on his face showed that he was obviously in pain, and he seemed like he could barely stand. Bobby stood next to them, a red stain present on the thigh of his jeans.

"Jane! Are you okay?" I quickly covered the distance and stooped to put Frankie's left arm over my shoulder to help support him. "What is going on?"

"I'm fine. We have some shooters on the loose. Frankie took two bullets to the chest and is in bad shape. Can you help him?" Jane's eyes were wild with panic. "You gotta help him!"

Even though I wasn't confident in my abilities with trauma medicine, I knew I had to try, at least for Jane's sake. "Put him over there." I pointed to one of the tables where I did my autopsies.

Frankie grimaced. "Not one of the 'dead tables'…isn't it a little soon for that? I'm fine…really. I took two shots to the chest but my vest stopped 'em."

"Sit down and shut up Frankie. Let Maura look at you." Jane responded, guiding him over to the table.

As we sat Frankie down and pulled off his bulletproof vest and uniform shirt, it quickly became clear that he was not fine.


	22. Chapter 22

**To those of you who expressed concern over my pending unemployment...thanks for being concerned. But I chose to leave my job since I am going back to school in 3 week. So no need to worry :) I am 2 days into unemployment and am loving it, even thought I know I will be bored in another day or two. Anyways, a guest comment prompted me to re-work the rest of the story, so thanks for the suggestion...it certainly put a twist into the story. Hope you enjoy. Thanks for reading, and sorry about another cliffhanger...I should be able to update with the next chapter tomorrow.**

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Ch. 22

A large purple bruise had spread across the left side of Frankie's abdomen, stretching from the top of his pants all the way up to his nipple. His breathing was labored as we reclined him on the table, coming in wheezes and gasps.

"We have to keep his head up." I said.

Jane took off her jacket and balled it up, sliding it under his head to keep it elevated. Frankie's breaths were becoming increasingly ragged, and I quickly searched the drawers around the autopsy table until I located a stethoscope, something I never really had a use for in my dealings with dead bodies.

Frankie let out a gasp. I looked up at him, noticing his face had turned an ashen color. Suddenly I wished I had taken a trauma rotation recently to brush up on my skills. He gasped again, and it became quite clear his breathing was becoming compromised.

"Frankie? What's wrong? What's wrong with him Maura? You gotta help him!" Jane looked at me pleadingly.

"Shhhh Jane, I'm trying. Give me a second!" I slid the stethoscope across his chest, noting decreased breath sounds as I moved towards the area over his left lung. I discarded the stethoscope behind me and willed my hands to remain steady as I began to palpate his abdomen. As I moved over the area where the large bruise continued to bloom, Frankie tensed up and let out a guttural groan. The area below my hands was rock hard, which usually indicated massive internal bleeding. Not a good sign.

"Shhh, it's okay Frankie…hang in there bud." Jane whispered quietly, stroking his hair. "Maur, you gotta talk to us…what's wrong with him?"

I brushed back a sweaty strand of hair from my face. "I'm not a trauma surgeon Jane. I really need a CT scan or an MRI to confirm….but I think it is a tension pneumothorax." I couldn't bring myself to meet her eyes.

"What does that mean Maur? You can fix it, right? You _have_ to fix it!" Her hand gripped my upper arm tightly. My eyes finally met hers, registering the fear and panic written all over her face.

I shook my head fiercely. "I'm not a trauma surgeon Jane! Frankie is bleeding internally and I think he has a collapsed lung. There is no way to know for sure, without confirming it with a CT scan. He needs a needle decompression and possibly a chest tube, procedures I am not qualified to perform! He needs medical attention…and now!"

Jane's eyes widened at the reality of the situation. Her head whipped around towards Bobby, who was fiddling with his handgun at the morgue entrance. "Bobby, how many guys do you think are in here? Think we can fight our way out?"

He shook his head. "At least five or six…all armed. I saw a couple with semi-automatic rifles." He glanced down the hall apprehensively. "We probably should wait for backup. Your radio getting a signal yet?"

Jane's jaw muscles clenched as she thought over the options. Reaching around behind her, she grabbed the radio that was attached to her belt. She pressed down the transmit button. "This is Victor 8-2-5. We got a situation at headquarters, requesting backup, STAT."

There was silence for several seconds before the radio crackled in response. "Jane? Is that you? What's going on?" Korsak's voice came across the static, gunshots ringing out in the background noise.

"Multiple shooters loose in headquarters, Korsak. We got three dead, two wounded. Bobby took one to the leg and Frankie took two to the chest and is in bad shape. You gotta get us out of here!"

The radio crackled again as Korsak's voice came through. "We're working on it Jane. Two shooters on the roof have got us pinned down. Sniper team just got here. You are gonna have to hold on, we are doing the best we can."

"Shit." Jane cursed, dropping her head in defeat. "We can't wait! Frankie doesn't have time!" She slammed her fist down in frustration. "What the hell do these guys want anyways?"

I moved to check on Frankie again, who was gasping for breath now. Suddenly, a thought registered.

"Jane, I think they are looking for something! They came down here and were looking through the evidence lockers. Whatever they were looking for, they didn't find, though." I picked up the stethoscope once more, listening to Frankie's chest again. His condition was deteriorating, and I could now hear fluid in his lungs. He looked up at me, wide-eyed and frantic. I smoothed his hair down, trying to comfort him the best I could. "Frankie, take deep breaths."

"I…..can't….breathe…" He sputtered, gripping my hand with white knuckles.

"The cigarettes!" Jane snapped her fingers. "I didn't log them in to evidence. I put them in my jacket pocket….that must be what they are looking for!" She reached under Frankie's head, rustling around in the fabric of her jacket, before emerging with a pack of cigarettes. "I picked these up at the crime scene…"

Frankie clutched me harder, his fingernails digging into my skin. I looked down in surprise, noting a look of shock on his face. Still fighting for each breath, he nodded frantically at something, his eyes widening.

I followed the direction of his nodding and looked up to see Bobby holding Jane by the neck, his gun pressed threateningly against her temple. "Give them to me." He growled. "Now! Or I'll blow your brains out Rizzoli."

Frozen in place by panic, I watched as Jane raised her hand, holding out the package of cigarettes. Bobby yanked them roughly from her hand, and shoved her to the side. Jane stumbled and she fell to the floor, hitting her face on the corner of an instrument table as she fell. I started to move towards her, before I heard the click of a gun being cocked.

"Don't fucking move!" Bobby said, the gun pointing directly at my chest. I raised my hands in surrender, listening to the thundering of my heart in my chest. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Jane raise her head, groaning as blood dripped from her nose.

"Well, it seems I finally found what I was looking for. Danny just couldn't stop digging." Bobby sneered at Jane, who was pinching the bridge of her nose, trying to quell the bleeding. "And I almost had you convinced _he_ was the dirty one." He laid the gun down on the table briefly, and yanked open the container of cigarettes. "Well, I'll be damned…looks like we found Danny's camera." Bobby jammed it back into the package, and slid it into his back pocket.

"You son-of-a-bitch!" Jane yelled. "You think you can get away with this? We got this building surrounded."

Bobby picked up the gun again, waving it threateningly around the room, eventually stopping it, pointing it directly at Jane's head. "Oh…I'm gonna get away with it all right…I'm gonna be a freaking hero." I saw his finger tighten around the trigger.

"No!" I screamed out. "Don't shoot her! Please! I love her!"

He turned to face me, the gun still aimed at Jane. "Oh, this is rich." Bobby sneered, lowering the gun slightly and walking slowly towards me. "Turns out Rizzoli _is_ a big-ole dyke, and looks like she's been screwing Dr. Isles…" He grabbed me roughly by the hair, spinning me around and pressing the gun to my temple. His arm came up around my chest, holding me so tight I felt like I couldn't breathe. "How…_sweet_." He spat out, walking us slowly towards the door of the morgue.

"Bobby, please! Let her go! It's all over, we have this place surrounded!" Jane rose slowly to her feet, her bloodied hands outstretched. "Come on, let's be smart about this."

"No. We are doing this my way, Rizzoli!" He clutched me harder, and I could feel the cool metal of the gun barrel dig into the skin at my temple. I shut my eyes and tried not to look at Jane. We were still moving, and Bobby nudged the morgue door open with his shoulder. He was dragging me towards the staircase. "Stay there or I shoot her! I mean it!"

"Jane, please! Listen to him! I will be fine!" I could see the anguish on Jane's face as we moved further away down the hall. "Tell Korsak we are on our way out!" I caught one final glimpse of her as he pushed me towards the exit.

"Shut your mouth!" Bobby growled, pushing me through the door to the staircase. He released me and shoved me towards the stairs. "Up. Now!" He pressed the gun to my back as we made our way up the stairs and into the lobby. Once we were in the lobby, he grabbed me again, pulling me tightly against him and holding the gun to my temple once more. He kicked open the door and we stepped out onto the stairs in front of the building. I squinted in the bright sunlight, unable to see for a few seconds. When my eyes adjusted, I saw multiple police cruisers parked on the street, officers crouched in waiting, guns trained on both of us.

"Bobby, put down the gun!" Korsak's voice boomed over a megaphone. "Let Dr. Isles go."

I could feel Bobby's hand trembling, the gun shaking as it pressed against me. He continued to move us down the stairs, laboring with the effort.

"Bobby, this is your last chance. Put down the gun!"

To our left, the main door swung open, and Jane hurtled towards us. Bobby removed the gun from my temple and raised it in her direction, his finger squeezing the trigger slowly.

"No!" My scream erupted, piercing the air. As if moving on it's own accord, my hand reached up to grab the gun, gripping and fighting for control. Struggling against him, seconds felt like an eternity as I turned his wrist away from Jane.

A shot rang out, and pain ripped through my body like wildfire. Bobby's grip slackened, and I fell to my knees.

"Maura!" Jane was sprinting towards me. My hands immediately went to the source of my pain, stopping over my abdomen. When I pulled them away, they were red and slick with blood. I pressed them back over the source of the bleeding, knowing that direct pressure was the only way to prevent me from bleeding out on the sidewalk.

"We need a paramedic over here! Now!" Jane knelt beside me, her arms cradling me gently. Her eyes were full of tears as she pressed a kiss to my forehead. "It's gonna be okay Maura. I've got you. Stay with me." I slumped back against her as my vision became blurry. The pain was overwhelming. Struggling to maintain consciousness, I clutched one of her hands tightly.

"Jane….I love you." I managed to get out. "I love you so much."

Tears rolled, unchecked, down her face. "Hang in there Maura…please. I love you…I can't lose you. Stay with me!" Her eyes were fixed on mine, begging, pleading.

I tried my best to remain focused on her as my world faded to black.


	23. Chapter 23

Ch. 23

I hurt.

My eyes struggled to focus in the brightly lit room, and I couldn't seem to shake the fogginess from my brain. My ears registered a constant, but quiet beeping sound, and the air in the room smelled stale, but vaguely of antiseptic. I shut my eyes again, trying to muster enough effort to take in my surroundings. The only thing I could seem to focus on was the pain searing through my body. It was overwhelming.

I could feel a hot tear sliding down my cheek as I willed myself to open my eyes again. Squinting a bit in the bright light, I realized I was in a hospital. Swallowing thickly, my eyes roved over my surroundings. I could see out into the hallway, the nurses station a flurry of constant activity. Another wave of pain wracked my body, and I tried to assess my physical condition before I succumbed to the inevitable.

From the waist down, everything seemed normal. But as my eyes traveled upward, the amount of tubes and wires coming from me was shocking. Various wires, likely EKG leads, were running from under my gown to the machines next to me. I could make out the snaking tube of a catheter peeking out from under the sheet, and could see the thinner IV tubing protruding from my forearm. Following the IV line, I could see several bags of fluids attached to the top of the IV pole. I was even more shocked to see a chest tube poking out from under my gown, with crimson blood visible through the clear plastic. My blood. The sight of it made me nauseated, even with all my medical training. It was different when it was coming out of me. Without meaning to, I groaned, the small movement from my abdomen causing severe pain to shoot through my body. It took my breath away, and I squeezed my eyes shut again as more tears rolled down my cheeks.

I could feel a hand cover mine, squeezing gently in reassurance. Struggling to focus against the intense pain, I opened my eyes to see Jane leaning over me. She pressed the call button on the side of the bed and then reached down to tenderly smooth my hair, her concern and worry written all over her face.

She wiped the tears away as I groaned again, the pitiful sound escaping again in response to my agony.

"Shhhh Maur. It's okay. You're gonna be okay. I love you." I could feel her lips press against my clammy forehead. "I know it hurts. The nurse is coming to give you more meds. Just hold on Maura." She continued to squeeze my hand.

I closed my eyes, hearing footsteps enter my room. A few moments later I allowed myself to succumb to the medications, slipping back into blissful unconsciousness.

* * *

The next time I woke up, it was dark. The pain was still there, but was vastly improved. I was thankful to not have the bright lights shining in my eyes as I slowly opened them. Licking my chapped lips, I glanced around the dimly lit room, stopping to focus on the window for several seconds. It was dark out, but the large window provided an expansive view of the city, the buildings and skyscrapers lit up against the dark night sky. I wondered what day it was, and how long I had been in this room for. Shutting my eyes once again to attempt to clear the fog from my head, I opened them and tried to locate a clock to at least get some bearing on what time it was. My eyes roamed the darkness for a few seconds, before stopping on the hunched over figure at the end of the bed. I couldn't see her face as she was turned away from me, but the familiar mess of dark curls spread out over the blankets indicated that it was Jane.

Looking down to assess my injuries again, I was glad to see less tubes and wires. My arms felt like lead as I gingerly raised them to rub my eyes. I winced, even at the slow movement, as the familiar burn seared in my chest once again. Lowering my hands back down slowly, I took the opportunity to feel the area where the pain was coming from, and found the chest tube still in place. Its presence indicated I must have had a collapsed lung and internal bleeding. Even in the haziness from the medications, my thoughts traveled back to Frankie, and I wondered if he had survived his critical injuries.

A twinge of pain in my lower back prompted me once again to wonder how long I had been laying here for. Shifting slightly to take the pressure off the area that was hurting, I noticed my slight movements had caused Jane to stir. She exhaled slowly and straightened up in the chair that was positioned next to my bed. Rubbing her eyes for several seconds, she yawned and looked towards me. Her eyes widened when she saw that I was awake. She smiled sleepily at me, and slid her chair closer towards the head of my bed. Once she was settled, she reached out a hand and brought it up to cup my cheek. I closed my eyes and enjoyed the sensation for a few seconds, before opening them once again. Now that Jane was closer, I noted dark circles under her eyes.

"H-hi" I managed to croak out, smiling as best I could. My throat seemed impossibly dry and my voice sounded almost foreign to me.

Jane leaned in to kiss me tenderly, removing her hand from my cheek to grasp one of mine. "Hey yourself, Gorgeous." She returned the smile, but I couldn't help but note the worry in her eyes. "Welcome back to the land of the living…" The smile disappeared as her face became solemn. "You gave us quite the scare."

I licked my lips again, feeling the rough and cracked skin underneath my tongue. Clearing my throat, I asked the question I so desperately wanted the answer to. "How long have I been here?"

Jane's gaze dropped to the blankets and she smoothed the blanket down for several seconds with her free hand. She took a deep breath before exhaling her answer. "Sixteen days." Her eyes flitted back up nervously.

I closed my eyes and let the reality of the situation wash over me. I was stunned…sixteen whole days? The doctor in me knew that my injuries must have been catastrophic in order for it to take sixteen days to fully wake up. Taking in a shuddering breath to calm the thoughts racing through my head, I winced slightly as a wave of pain shot through my abdomen.

Jane heard my sharp intake of breath and in an instant was on her feet, with a very concerned expression. She leaned in, her gaze intense as she searched my face.

"What is it? Are you in pain? I should call the nurse…" Her hand moved towards the call button.

I shook my head, and captured her hand in mine before she was able to press the call button. Squeezing it gently, I lowered it so it was resting on my lap. "I'm okay Jane. It hurt, but I'm okay now. Please….sit."

She slumped back down into the plastic chair. Her thumb started to rub small circles on the back of my hand.

"What-what happened Jane?"

Her thumb stopped moving for a few seconds before resuming its movements.

"You got shot."

I nodded slowly. "Yes, I know that, but what happened after? What were my injuries?"

A series of emotions passed across Jane's face as she struggled to remain composed. She shook her head. "I can't talk about it Maura." She said quietly. "It was terrifying…there was so much blood." She shook her head again, more fiercely this time. "No….I can't do this. The doctor should be in in a few hours…she can explain your injuries." A tear fell and she reached up to brush her cheek with the back of her hand.

It broke my heart to see Jane so upset. These sixteen days must have been torture for her. I brought our joined hands up and kissed the back of her hand. The reality of the situation became too much for my brain to process in its hazy, medicated state, and I allowed my eyes to shut again. I fell asleep to the quiet sounds of Jane crying.

* * *

"Maura, sorry to disturb you, but can you wake up for us?" A male voice registered softly next to my head, pulling me out of my medicated slumber.

The room was bright again, with sunlight streaming through the large window. There were several unfamiliar people in the room, but Jane was nowhere to be found. The man closest to me, wearing green scrubs and a white lab coat spoke first.

"Sorry to wake you, but Detective Rizzoli mentioned you had some questions about the extent of your injuries, and we were just doing our morning rounds."

I nodded slightly as he continued. "I am Dr. Fiorello. I was the lead surgeon on your case." He fiddled with the stethoscope around his neck before continuing. "You arrived in our ER having suffered a gunshot wound to your right abdomen. Bleeding was quite extensive and the paramedics reported you crashed twice in the ambulance. As soon as you arrived, we pushed the IV fluids and transfused you, taking you to the operating room as soon as you were stable."

My heart rate was starting to increase and I closed my eyes and let my head fall back to the mattress.

"Maura? Are you okay? Do you want me to continue?" Dr. Fiorello sounded genuinely concerned.

I nodded.

"We took you in for an exploratory laparotomy. The trajectory of the bullet caused severe internal bleeding, but also damaged several organs before it exited your body. Part of your intestine had to be removed as the bullet passed through. In addition, the bullet nicked one of your ovaries, which subsequently had to be removed. The bullet traveled upwards and caused your lung to collapse, which is why you have a chest tube. We were able to patch everything up, but kept you in a medically-induced coma for the first week, to allow for your body to start to heal. It was touch-and-go for the first few days but we gradually weaned you off the sedation, and were able to remove your breathing tube six days ago. We are still watching for signs of a post-operative infection, but are quite impressed with your progress. The nurses have been able to keep up with your pain medication, but we plan to begin weaning you off that in the next several days as well. The chest tube should come out in the next twenty-four hours or so, and after you are able to tolerate your medications orally, I would feel comfortable discharging you. But that is at least a week or so down the road."

I exhaled slowly, unaware that I had been holding my breath. Tears were welling up in my eyes and threatening to fall. I reached up to brush them away and took in a shaky breath.

"Do you have any questions for us Maura?"

I was struggling to process the staggering amount of information I had just been given. Even with my medical knowledge it was overwhelming. I needed Jane.

"Maura, do you have any questions?" The doctor repeated his question.

I shook my head. "Do you know where Jane…um, Detective Rizzoli went?"

One of the nurses spoke up. "I saw her in the family waiting room down the hall. It looked like she was making some phone calls. Do you want me to get her for you? I swear, that woman hasn't left your side for more than an hour this whole time." She smiled warmly.

"Yes, please." A few tears slid down my cheek.

The group of people began filing out of the room. Dr. Fiorello flipped through my chart for several seconds before placing it at the foot of the bed. "We are pleased with your progress Ms. Isles. We are allowing you to return to a normal diet, but please continue to get as much rest as possible. I will be back later this evening to assess the chest tube before we remove it tomorrow. Take care."

Jane appeared in the doorway as soon as Dr. Fiorello left. She leaned against the doorframe for several seconds before moving towards the plastic chair. When she noticed the tears on my face she moved to sit on the edge of the bed instead. Her hands came up to cup my face and she brushed away my tears with her thumbs.

"We almost lost you." She leaned in to kiss the tip of my nose. "I…almost lost you. God…Maur, I have never been more terrified in my entire life." She rested her forehead against mine. "I love you _so _much." Her voice cracked, overwrought with emotion.

My tears continued to fall. I wanted nothing more in that moment than to be held by Jane and to be close to her. I moved gingerly as far to one side of the bed as I could, being careful to not dislodge my chest tube. Once the pain had passed, I patted the area next to me. Jane looked at me, unsure of what to do.

"Please, Jane. Will you hold me?"

Wordlessly, Jane kicked off her shoes and slid into place next to me. She carefully slid one arm around the back of my neck and pulled me in next to her as gently as she could.

My eyes shut as I let my emotions take over. I had almost died. My sobs became stronger as I cried into Jane's chest. Every sob that wracked my body shot pain down my side.

"I…I almost died Jane." Saying it out loud was terrible, and I was still in disbelief.

A strangled sob came from Jane at that point. I could feel her body shudder as she began to cry as well. She pressed a kiss to my temple and pulled me as close as she could. "I know Maur. I know." She murmured into my hair.

We held each other and cried until we both fell asleep.


	24. Chapter 24

**Thanks for reading. I still can't believe the positive response to this. One more chapter after this one, then perhaps an epilogue if I am feeling it. To the person who asked if Maura can still have kids...yes. She only had one ovary removed so she still has the other one and can still ovulate. **

**Anyways...enjoy! It was a little weird writing about Christmas when it is summer. At least it is cold and rainy today and doesn't feel like summer... :)**

* * *

Ch. 24

I woke up several hours later, when a nurse came in to check my vital signs. Jane's arms were still wrapped carefully around me, and the nurse frowned upon realizing there was someone in my bed with me. Jane continued to sleep while the nurse checked my blood pressure and temperature, and then checked the output from my chest tube. After recording the data in my chart, she moved back to the head of my bed and adjusted my IV tubing slightly.

"How is your pain? It has been six hours since your last dose of painkillers, are you feeling like you need more?"

I shifted in the bed as carefully as I could without waking Jane, trying to gauge my level of pain. There was still pain, but I wasn't feeling like I needed more medication at the moment. Jane stirred beside me, nuzzling her face into my neck before sighing contentedly.

"I think I am okay for now." I responded.

The nurse nodded. "Well, let us know if it gets worse and you need something to take the edge off. Your vitals look great and the output from your chest tube is minimal. I expect Dr. Fiorello to remove it sooner rather than later…possibly even tonight. It's almost noon, are you feeling up to eating some lunch?"

My stomach growled at that precise moment, causing us both to grin at the perfect timing.

"I'll take that as a yes. If you could…ahem, evict your bedmate, I will have them bring a tray up for you. Just eat slowly okay?"

I smiled and nodded my assent. The nurse headed out back towards the nurse's station.

"So you're kicking me out?" Jane's voice was raspy and deep with sleep. She kissed my cheek before pulling her arms from around me, and sitting up in the bed.

"Yes, but not by choice." I responded, poking her playfully in the stomach.

She grinned and rubbed at her eyes with the heels of her hands before swinging her legs over the side of the bed and standing up. She stood there, stretching for several seconds before moving to look out the large window. The sunshine from this morning was long gone. The sky was a dull grey, and from my bed I could see snow falling, whirling around in the gusts of wind.

"Forecast says this storm is going to last through Christmas." Jane said quietly. "Two whole days of snow…kill me now." She turned around and sat in the bedside chair again.

I groaned inwardly. Christmas. Not only had I lost sixteen days, but it also looked like I was going to be spending Christmas in the hospital. And, I hadn't even finished my Christmas shopping!

"Jane, what's the date?" My voice came out sounding panicked.

"December 23rd." She responded, and then frowned at me. "Please tell me you're not freaking out about Christmas…Jesus Maura, you got shot! Really?"

I opened my mouth and shut it again. Jane knew me too well. She was right. This was not the time to be worrying about trivial things. I needed to get well and get home.

Jane took my hand in hers. "Besides, we can just celebrate here." She shrugged. "Ma was already planning on bringing in some decorations now that you are, well… conscious."

"But Jane, I didn't get you a present."

Jane squeezed my hand and stood to give me a quick peck on the lips. "Shhh Maur….seriously, stop worrying. It's enough that you are here talking to me right now." She leaned in for another- longer- kiss, and I could feel her emotion as her lips pressed against mine. "You're all I need." She breathed, as she pulled away. She tucked a lock of hair behind my ear before she sat down in her chair again.

"I love you Jane. Thanks for being here with me."

"I love you too Maura." She kissed the back of my hand and settled in her chair. She lifted her long legs and put her feet up at the end of my bed, crossing her legs at the ankle.

We chatted for a while until my food was delivered. Jane filled me in on Frankie's condition, and I was pleased to learn that although he also suffered a collapsed lung, that was the extent of his injuries and he had been discharged several days ago. As she brought my tray in, the nurse raised the head of my bed so I was sitting comfortably upright, and Jane took the covers off the food. I thanked the nurse, and she left us alone.

Although I was hungry, the hospital food was nearly inedible. Through Jane's urging, I ate nearly half the food on my tray before calling it quits. Jane grabbed the container of chocolate pudding off the tray and dug right in. She grinned at me as she licked the chocolate off the foil top.

"Oh, were you going to eat this?" She held up the plastic container innocently, before scooping up a spoonful and putting it in her mouth. Her eyes sparkled mischievously.

I laughed, shaking my head at her antics. It was good to see her in a lighter mood. "I can't believe you are stealing food from an invalid, Jane!" I teased.

She took another bite before pointing the spoon at me. "First, you aren't an invalid. And second, I don't think you were going to eat this anyway. Oh, and third, I _can_ share you know…" She quirked an eyebrow.

Smiling, I patted the bed next to me. "Well…if you are offering…one bite, perhaps."

Jane perched herself on the bed next to me and scooped a small amount onto the spoon. She brought it up to my lips and I leaned in to take what she had offered. After I had swallowed, I reached out to grasp her shirt and pulled her in for a kiss. I could taste the chocolate on her lips. We broke apart after several seconds, and I noticed Jane try to stifle a yawn as she moved to sit in her chair.

"Jane, honey, when was the last time you went home?" I asked quietly.

She ran a hand through her hair before responding. "Um, four days ago?" She was suddenly very interested in a loose thread on the blanket. "The folks here at the hospital have been letting me shower in your bathroom, and Ma has been bringing me clean clothes and food…so I haven't really had to go home."

I closed my eyes and rested my head back against the pillow. Her devotion and support brought tears to my eyes. I opened my eyes again and blinked back the tears, wondering how I had managed to be lucky enough to have Jane as my partner.

"Jane, come here please." I patted the bed again, and she complied, sitting on the edge, facing me. "You _need_ to go home." She opened her mouth to argue and I pressed a finger to her lips to silence her. "I can't express how much it means to me that you have been here by my side through all of this, but I can see how exhausted you are. You need to go home and rest. Please Jane, do it for me. Sleep in your own bed and get some rest, and then come back in the morning."

Jane sighed and dropped her head. After several seconds she raised her head again, nodding slowly. "You're right." She kissed my forehead before sliding off the bed and slipping on her shoes. "Are you sure you are okay?" She looked at me worriedly as she bent down to give me a goodbye kiss.

I smiled. "I'm fine Jane. Tired, but fine." My energy was fading fast.

She slid on her jacket and moved towards the door. "Get some rest Maur. I'll see you in the morning, okay?"

"Okay Jane. Sweet dreams. I love you."

"Love you too. Don't miss me too much." She grinned over her shoulder. She paused in the doorway and gave me one last look before giving a small wave and disappearing down the hall.

* * *

I slept on and off for the rest of the day. The nurse came in a few times, and eventually discontinued my IV as well as my catheter. I was feeling quite proud of myself after using the toilet, despite needing quite a bit of help from the nurse to do so. The short trip to and from the bathroom wiped me out, so I quickly fell back asleep for the night. After getting several hours of uninterrupted sleep, Dr. Fiorello came in early the next morning to remove my chest tube. The procedure was fairly straightforward, but although they used some topical anesthetic, was quite uncomfortable. I found myself wishing for Jane's company and encouraging words as they placed a couple sutures in my side where the tube had been.

When the procedure had been completed, Dr. Fiorello glanced at my chart once again. "Now that the chest tube has been removed, you are free to be up and moving about as you feel able. Just make sure someone is with you and don't overdo it. Remember, you have been stationary for over two weeks, so your legs are likely going to be quite weak. As long as you are able to ambulate with minimal pain, I would feel comfortable with discharging you in the next couple of days."

"Thank you Doctor. I look forward to it."

He smiled warmly. "I'm sure you do Ms. Isles. It's pretty busy around here, so if I don't see you tomorrow, Merry Christmas."

I returned the smile. "You too Dr. Fiorello. Thanks for all you have done."

The nurse entered again after he had left, and offered to get me up and sitting in the chair by the window. I accepted her offer and after a great deal of effort, found myself sitting by the window watching the snow continue to fall over the city. It felt good to be out of the bed. I sat there for quite some time, just watching, as the sky grew darker throughout the day and the snowstorm intensified.

I was lost in my thoughts for a while and didn't notice Jane enter the room. It wasn't until I felt her cold hands on my shoulders that I noticed her. I felt her lips against the side of my neck, and her breath was warm as she spoke. "Hi beautiful...sorry I'm late, but my bed felt damn good this morning." She brushed the hair away from my neck and kissed it a few more times before moving to crouch in front of me, her hands resting on my thighs. It must have been cold out there, as her cheeks were rosy. Her curls were slightly windblown, and there were still a few snowflakes in her hair. I was grateful to see that she looked much more rested and relaxed. She squeezed her hands gently. "It's good to see you up and about. Are you feeling up for a little walk?"

Truthfully, my small journey from the bed to the chair had me feeling rather adventurous, and I wanted to see how my body would handle walking greater distances. I nodded, and slid the blanket off my lap and placed it on the windowsill. Jane slid off her jacket and placed it on the bed. She came and stood next to me, bending down and helping me to my feet. Once I was steady, she came to stand in front of me. She took a deep breath and let it out slowly.

"Jane? What's the matter?"

She shook her head. "It's nothing. Can…can I hug you? I don't want to hurt you."

I responded by pulling her towards me. Her arms came up to wrap loosely around my lower back. I felt her relax into me as I wrapped my arms around her neck. She felt so warm through the thin material of the hospital gown.

We simply held each other for a bit. When Jane spoke again, her voice was thick with emotion.

"I missed this. For a while there, I didn't think I would be able to hold you like this ever again. I'm so glad I can." Her voice was barely above a whisper.

I had to wipe away the tears from my eyes when we finally released each other. We each took a deep breath and she offered her hand, which I grasped firmly in mine. Hand in hand, I took a few shaky steps, and after my legs got used to it, we were headed out into the hallway.

It felt clumsy and awkward at first, but Jane's hands provided the extra support I needed, one clutching my hand, and the other supporting my lower back. My abdomen was burning for the first few steps, but eventually the muscles became used to the movement once again.

The floor was shaped like a square, with the nurse's station positioned in the center. We took our time, but eventually completed a few laps around the perimeter. Jane was great, the perfect mixture of motivation and moderation, allowing me to stop and rest, and even sit down a few times in the family waiting room. We shared a laugh as my gown came untied, exposing my buttocks to whoever was in the hallway. She grinned cheekily, smacked my bare buttocks playfully, and tied it back up, kissing the exposed skin along my spine as she did so.

Although it felt wonderful to be up and about, my legs tired after the third lap around, and I knew it was time to head back to my room for a rest. Jane ushered me around the corner and back towards my room. I noticed the door had been shut, and Jane reached out to grasp the handle, pausing briefly before pushing it down and swinging the door open.

I gasped and felt Jane's strong hands come up to wrap around my waist gently as I took in the sight. The lights had been dimmed, but hundreds of twinkling Christmas lights lit up the room. Paper snowflakes adorned the glass pane of the window, green garland draped on the sill, and there was a small potted Christmas tree on the bedside table, complete with a few ornaments. Tears sprang into my eyes as I took it all in. Jane kissed my temple and helped me walk into the room to get a better look. She helped me settle in on the bed and my eyes traveled around the room taking in the shining lights and decorations.

When I turned to thank Jane, my breath caught in my throat when I saw her kneeling on the floor holding a small box in her outstretched hands.


End file.
